HC Deb 15 October 1969 vol 788 cc378-9
4. Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the French Government about an Anglo-French nuclear force.

8. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards the co-ordination of the British and French nuclear forces.

Mr. Healey

I have nothing to add to the very full statement made by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 25th July.—[Vol. 787, c. 2378–82.]

Mr. Marten

If this question of the Anglo-French nuclear deterrent came up, for example, in the Common Market negotiations, what would be the Government's attitude towards such a proposal?

Mr. Healey

The difficulty is to know what sort of proposal the hon. Member has in mind. The central problem, as I made clear when the Leader of the Opposittion ventilated this idea two years ago, is to know whether such a force would be inside or outside of N.A.T.O. There seems to be no chance of the present French Government, so long as it holds to its present policy, agreeing to such a force being inside N.A.T.O. To have such a force outside N.A.T.O. would be deeply damaging to the solidarity of the Alliance.

Mr. Frank Allaun

Would it not be hypocrisy if we were to proceed with the joint nuclear force on the one hand and back non-proliferation on the other?

Mr. Healey

I do not know how wise I am to answer these hypothetical questions, but the fact is that co-operation between Britain and France in this sphere, as they are both nuclear Powers, would not be affected in any way by the non-proliferation treaty.

Mr. Rippon

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that if there is the will on the part of both Governments a great deal more practical co-operation is possible? Will he tell the House what the Government's proposition is?

Mr. Healey

The right hon. and learned Gentleman, who knows something of these matters, must accept that any attempt to build such a force outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation would be a sheer disaster for the solidarity of the Alliance, and there is currently no prospect of building such a force inside the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Right hon. Gentlemen opposite must face this fact.