§ 5. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Defence what discussions he had during his recent talks with the United States Defence Department about the circumstances under which the West might initiate the use of nuclear weapons.
§ Mr. WatkinsonI have nothing to add to the Answer I gave on 29th March to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell).
§ Mr. SwinglerDoes the Minister recall the Press reports just before Easter to the effect that President Kennedy was prepared to make a declaration abandoning the threat to initiate nuclear war under any circumstance? Was not the right hon. Gentleman reported in many newspapers here as objecting to this and as being an obstacle to the United States Defence Department in such a declaration being made? Would he care to comment on these reports or to repudiate the suggestion that he is in any way objecting to a declaration abandoning the suicidal threat to initiate nuclear war?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI do not think—with respect to him—that the hon. Member has his facts quite right. I understand that President Kennedy's words—and I think that this was a verbatim report—were:
Our arms will never be used to strike the first blow in any attack.That is also the policy of Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. HealeyIs not the statement which the Minister has just made in flat contradiction to the statement made on the same subject in the Defence White Paper in 1958?
§ Mr. WatkinsonNot at all.
§ Mr. SwinglerDoes that statement mean that the Government have abandoned the threat to initiate nuclear war in certain circumstances, as said in the White Paper?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe hon. Member has a right to interpret any statement as he thinks fit.
§ Mr. SwinglerWhat is the right hon. Gentleman's interpretation?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Government's position is plain and has been made so on a great number of occasions. We will retaliate to any aggression with whatever force we deem necessary in any particular set of circumstances.