§ Q2. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Prime Minister, in view of the danger of Britain becoming involved in a nuclear war, as was revealed at the time of the Cuban crisis, if he will now request President Kennedy to remove the Polaris base from Britain.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. AllaunIf the Russian missiles in Cuba wore a threat to the American cities, are not the American missiles round the Russian coast and frontier similarly a threat to Russian cities? Would not the removal of the Polaris base lessen world tension and make Britain less of a sitting target?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not believe that it is in the interests of the general safety of the Western world that we should now take the action proposed by the hon. Member.
§ Commander CourtneyDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that the danger at the time of Cuba was not so much of nuclear war as of our involvement in a limited maritime war about which we had not previously been consulted and against which, as far as I am aware, our defence planners had made no contingent arrangements?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not know what was in the mind of the hon. Member who asked the original Question, but it referred to the introduction of these missiles into the Western hemisphere, by their being placed in Cuba. I believe that the whole House was gratified to know that at least some preliminary agreement has been reached on that, although negotiations are still proceeding upon the whole matter.
§ Mr. WiggDoes not the Prime Minister agree that the retention of Polaris missiles in this country serves a definite military purpose, whereas, on the 559 other hand, the continued operational use of Thor and Jupiter missiles here, in Italy and in Turkey serves no useful purpose whatever?
§ The Prime MinisterI cannot agree.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesDoes not the Prime Minister realise that the argument over these Polaris submarines was that they could get much nearer the Russian coast than the military bases in Cuba were to the American coast? Does not he think that there is so much gratification in the world about the Russian missiles being removed from Cuba that people would welcome any proposal which the right hon. Gentleman might make for these Polaris submarines to be sent to America under the supervision of the International Red Cross?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. I think that the question had been debated in this House as to the Polaris base which we have afforded, and I should have thought that the first thing one would hope for now is the conclusion of the negotiations with regard to the Cuban question. I agree that then there might be an opportunity to raise wider issues with perhaps more hope of a result.