§ 6. Mr. Croninasked the Minister of Defence if he will make a statement on the operational rôle of the V-bomber force while assigned to Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe V-bomber force will, if war comes, and if required to do so, attack certain targets, assigned to it by SACEUR, which are appropriate to its capabilities.
§ Mr. CroninWill the right hon. Gentleman see that in future the V-bomber force concentrates on the useful rôle of acting as a strike force for the direct defence of Europe against invasion and cease to emphasise so much the persistently illusionary rôle of a strategic nuclear deterrent?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI have never held the view that it is a useful approach to defence to say that you must never defend yourself.