§ Q2. Mr. Stratton Millsasked the Prime Minister what plans Her Majesty's 1844 Government have for the underground testing of Polaris warheads.
§ Q9. Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister what plans Her Majesty's Government have for the underground testing of Polaris warheads.
§ Q10. Mrs. Renee Shortasked the Prime Minister what plans Her Majesty's Government have for the underground testing of Polaris warheads.
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to the statements which I made in the House in reply to Questions on 4th February and 16th March.
§ Mr. Stratton MillsWill the Prime Minister distinguish betwen the public interest and his own party political interest? Does he recall that, on 15th July last, the former Minister of Defence announced a forthcoming test of a Polaris warhead in Nevada? Why is the right hon. Gentleman not prepared to give information to the House about forthcoming tests which he is planning in Nevada for later this year?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman is quite false in the accusation he has just made. As regards past announcements, it was very rare for these tests to be announced. The hon. Gentleman is quite wrong to say that we have any such plan.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI am not, of course, pressing the Prime Minister to say when the tests will be held, but does he recall that, in a debate on 17th December, he said that this missile could not be tested under the Test Ban Agreement? Is that not quite wrong? These missiles can be tested underground, either by the Americans or by ourselves, whichever is convenient. Therefore, does he withdraw what he said before?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. What I said then was the exact fact. I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman would not want to depart from the present practice in these matters. I have warned the Front Bench opposite that, if they want to depart from the present practice, we are quite prepared to do so by referring to the last series which they undertook.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThis is no reason at all, and it discloses no secret 1845 whatever to say that these missiles and warheads can be tested underground and, therefore, it is not a breach of the Test Ban Agreement, as the right hon. Gentleman said. Does the right hon. Gentleman stick to what he said or does he withdraw it?
§ The Prime MinisterWhat I said on that occasion I stick to. It was very carefully checked, and it was true.
§ Mr. MonslowIn the light of the development of the American Poseidon, could my right hon. Friend say whether our own submarines will be obsolete in the near future?
§ The Prime MinisterWe are certainly not considering changing over from the Polaris programme to the Poseidon programme. In any case, the United States is itself only just now starting development of the Poseidon weapon, and the House will realise what an enormous cost would be involved if we were to try to keep up with the Joneses in this particular respect.
§ Mr. MartenMay I revert to the Question raised by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition? I have just referred to column 701 of HANSARD of 17th December, when the right hon. Gentleman clearly said that these warheads could not be tested under the Test Ban Agreement. I feel quite certain that that is wrong. Will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his answer?
§ The Prime MinisterCertainly—I think that the right hon. Gentleman had this in mind—under the Test Ban Agreement underground tests are possible for certain components, for small tests, but the full test of a full Polaris warhead with the whole power it has could not be done underground. It is a completely unreasonable thing to suggest.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe Prime Minister knows quite well that a full test of the Polaris warhead is not involved here. We must not go into secret matters, of course, but is it not true that this is a test of a trigger mechanism, and everybody knows it, which can be carried out underground? Will not the right hon. Gentleman revise his answer?
§ The Prime MinisterThe question of testing individual components is possible. What I said in the debate—I have not 1846 the text before me—[Interruption.]—I do not want to compete with the technical knowledge of the hon. and gallant Member for Knutsford (Sir W. Bromley-Davenport). The right hon. Gentleman knows that what I was referring to was the necessity to reshape the whole of our warhead to fit into the Polaris, and this has not been tested and cannot be tested. That is what I was referring to, and what I then said was perfectly correct.