ANY plans to involve North Yorkshire in a global missile defence system will be discussed in public, the Home Secretary has pledged.

David Blunkett assured residents that no decision had been taken on the future of the RAF bases at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales.

It is feared the two centres could be used as part of United States plans for a "Son of Star Wars" network, which would have the capability to shoot enemy missiles out of the sky.

But Mr Blunkett said no decision had been taken on any British involvement in the scheme.

And he gave his strongest hint yet that any request from the Americans to use the bases may not be received kindly in Whitehall.

"No decision has been taken yet as to involvement in the missile defence system," Mr Blunkett said.

"That must wait until the United States makes a prospective proposal and takes action through Congress.

"Then they will have to consider it very carefully. This all goes back a long way. I was involved myself in the 1980s. I am aware of the strength of feeling."

While he was a high profile councillor in Sheffield, Mr Blunkett campaigned vigorously to keep South Yorkshire a nuclear-free zone.

But in spite of continued protests at the North Yorkshire bases, Mr Blunkett insisted that current arrangements at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales were "perfectly reasonable".

He added: "There is no risk in my view for the people of North Yorkshire.

"But any decision (to involve Menwith Hill and Fylingdales in a missile defence system) has to be taken in the open."

U.S. President George Bush believes the missile defence system will make the world a better place by defending it from rogue states.

But the Evening Press has campaigned against the scheme because it fears the deployment of missiles or intelligence gathering at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales opens North Yorkshire to possible attack in the event of any conflict.

Updated: 08:37 Friday, February 08, 2002