asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied with the ground-to-air defensive capabilities of Royal Air Force bases in the United Kingdom; and whether he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that the various elements of the United Kingdom's air defences, of which active airfield defences are a part, together constitute a strong deterrent to air attack. We are, of course, always seeking to improve our capability in this particular area and have already announced the purchase of equipment for a further Rapier squadron, additional stocks of Bloodhound missiles, and the deployment of a second Bloodhound squadron in the United Kingdom in 1981. We are keeping under review the need for any further measures to meet changes in the threat.