§ 42. Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Air how many men have been trained in the operation and maintenance of the Thor missile.
§ Mr. W. J. TaylorAbout 1,700.
§ Mr. de FreitasSince the only plausible justification for Thors was the rôle they had in training people to operate Blue Streak, would it not be wise to cut our losses now and stop the Thor programme?
§ Mr. TaylorNot at all. The Thor missile is at the moment a valid and useful part of the deterrent. The argument against Blue Streak is on quite a different time scale.
§ Mr. CollardDoes my hon. Friend agree that, however vulnerable Thor may become in the future, it is at present a very useful and effective weapon? Furthermore, it is a good example of interdependence in the alliance, which so many hon. Members desire.
§ Mr. TaylorI agree with my hon. Friend. I go further and say that the protective shield of Fighter Command means that Russian bombers could not count on knocking out Thor on the ground.