§ 30. Mr. Raphael Tuckasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government that Great Britain will never be the first to use a nuclear weapon.
§ Mr. HealeyThe policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to the use of nuclear weapons remains based on their obligations to N.A.T.O.
§ Mr. TuckDoes not my right hon. Friend remember that on 5th December, 1967, the Prime Minister, in answer to a Question by the late Mr. Emrys Hughes, admitted that Great Britain would never be the first to use the nuclear weapon? How does that tally with the statements in the recent Defence White Paper about the initial use of nuclear arms?
§ Mr. HealeyI regret to say that my hon. Friend is totally misrepresenting the Prime Minister's reply to that Question by the late Mr. Emrys Hughes.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsIs the Secretary of State saying that neither he nor his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister would be the first in certain circumstances to use the nuclear weapon if an invasion were to take place?
§ Mr. HealeyI have always made it clear, as have all Governments, that if N.A.T.O. were faced with an overwhelming conventional invasion of Western Europe N.A.T.O. would have to use the nuclear weapon in the course of replying to it. This has always been the policy of N.A.T.O. ever since it was set up in 1949. I am glad to see that the newspaper which is published by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament admits in the current number that there has been no recent change in the policy of the British Government or N.A.T.O. in this respect.