§ Q5. Mr. Healeyasked the Prime Minister what recent approach has been made to President Johnson for a review of the Nassau Agreement, in view of the difficulties of producing suitable British warheads for the Polaris missile.
§ Q8. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister what discussions he has recently had with the President of the United States concerning a review of the Nassau Agreement, in view of the difficulties now anticipated in fitting a British warhead to the Polaris missile.
§ The Prime MinisterNo approach has been made to the United States Government for a review of the Nassau Agreement and none is required.
§ Mr. HealeyIs it not true that to fit British warheads to these missiles would mean a substantial reduction in their range or destructive power, or both? Does the Prime Minister propose to test the completely new type of warhead which we should require to build to fit to such a missile? Is it not the case that the only sensible military answer to this problem is to buy American warheads, but, since these are subject to American veto on their use, this would nullify the whole political purpose of the Government's Polaris programme?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir; we have no doubt that the British-made warhead is perfectly adequate for all the purposes, and the hon. Gentleman's assumptions in the earlier part of his supplementary question are wrong. As to when or, indeed, if, any tests are necessary, I do not think that I should answer that now. I think that there is no reason to believe that this warhead would have to be tested. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] There is no reason to think that there would have to be special tests for this warhead, but I would rather not go into that because one never quite knows in the manufacture of something of this kind. The answer to the hon. Gentleman is that we do not require American warheads and we are going to make them ourselves.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that the 588 assurance which he has now given is worth any more than the assurances given some time ago regarding Skybolt?
§ The Prime MinisterAny assurance given by me is worth what I say it is.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyDoes not my right hon. Friend deplore questions like this with the suggestion behind them that the British have failed again? Why do the Opposition go out of their way to denigrate British achievement?
§ Mr. GrimondIs the Prime Minister in a position to assure the House that not even any modification of the Polaris missile system is necessary before the British warhead is fitted?
§ The Prime MinisterThat does not arise out of this Question. I am not really sure that I understand or that [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."]—I was going on to say—or that the right hon. Gentleman quite understands what he is asking. Is he asking whether any modification of the inside machinery of the submarine is necessary in order to accommodate the warhead?
§ Mr. GrimondMay I, with respect, attempt to enlighten the Prime Minister? It has been suggested by experts that such a modification of the American system would be necessary to enable it to take the British warhead. What I am asking is whether his expert advisers tell him that this is so or not?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that the engineering problems are quite straightforward and will cause us no difficulty at all. The question was about the construction of the warhead. The right hon. Gentleman need have no fears about the engineering problems.
§ Mr. HealeyWill the Prime Minister be kind enough to answer the question which I asked, which was: will not the fitting of a British warhead mean a substantial reduction in either the range or the destructive power of the Polaris missile, or both? In answering that, will he realise that the House will accept his assurances in the knowledge that the Government have already had to cancel 26 major missile or aircraft projects which they had undertaken, at a cost to the taxpayer of £300 million?
§ The Prime MinisterI thought that had answered the hon. Gentleman quite clearly earlier when I said that both his assumptions were wrong. I could hardly have answered it more clearly.