§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the "defence efforts" referred to by Viscount Cranborne in his answer of 9th February 1994 (Lords Hansard, col. WA 127) in relation to the United States' new counter-proliferation initiative; who is making these "efforts"; what new weapons systems are envisaged; at what, and at whose, expense would they be obtained; how and where would they be deployed; under whose command would they be; and what command systems are being considered for them.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Viscount Cranborne)The70WA development of the United States' counter-proliferation initiative is a matter for the United States Administration. Within NATO, work is being undertaken to develop an overall policy framework for addressing proliferation issues. The primary focus will remain on prevention, but the Alliance will also consider defence measures against proliferation should prevention fail. Defence work will cover defining the potential threat, and the role of current and possible additional military capabilities. This work is at an early stage.