§ 42. Mr. Zilliacusasked the Secretary of State for Air what recent official exchange of views has taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the United States Administration on declaring the Thor missiles in this 514 country operational; and whether he will make a statement.
§ 48. Wing-Commander Bullusasked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make a further statement on the progress of the Thor missile.
Mr. WardAs a result of the test firings which have taken place in the United States, and in the light of the progress made in the training programme, we are now satisfied that Thor is able to take its place as part of the operational front-line of the Royal Air Force.
§ Mr. ZilliacusIs it not desirable to resist any declarations as to our additional military preparedness, alleged or real, at a time when we are trying to relax tensions in preparation for the Summit Conference?
Mr. WardI think it has been known for some time that this weapon has been rapidly developing to a point at which it is operational.
§ Wing Commander BullusWould not my right hon. Friend agree that this is a good example of the value of close Anglo-American co-operation, particularly in defence matters?
Mr. WardYes, Sir, I quite agree. I also think it is a remarkable fact that it is less than four years since the Douglas Aircraft Corporation started work on this brand new concept.
§ Mr. de FreitasHas there been any change in the regulations and conditions governing the custody and positioning of the nuclear warheads, as has been reported in the Press?
§ Mr. MasonIs it not a fact that the initial delivery of the missiles was regarded as non-operational, since many of them came here before they were proved to be 100 per cent. successful? Can the Minister state emphatically that the missiles on pads in this country are fully operational?
Mr. WardI have said that the Thor missile will now take its place in the operational front-line of the R.A.F.