HC Deb 05 February 1974 vol 868 cc1022-3
6 Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of Polaris submarine nuclear missiles.

Mr. Ian Gilmour

We shall continue to keep the effectiveness of our Polaris force under review.

Mr. Allaun

Is it correct that the Government are to spend £100 million on updating these missiles? Secondly, would it not be ruinous for Britain to try to compete with America and Russia in nuclear forces and risk thereby the détente and the Non-Proliferation Treaty?

Mr. Gilmour

As I have said to the hon. Gentleman more than once, we have no intention whatever of abandoning our nuclear capability, which forms a valuable contribution to NATO's deterrent forces. That continues to be the position.

Mr. Peart

My hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun), who sometimes disagrees with me, has a very valid point. There should be a statement about the future. After all, there are arguments in the United States about Poseidon and how far we may be involved. It is important that we should know what transactions are in mind and what is the cost. We have pressed the Minister time and again on this but have had no satisfactory answer.

Mr. Gilmour

I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman does not think I have given him satisfactory answers. I think that I have been as explicit as he would expect me to be. As he knows, we shall shortly have an opportunity to discuss all these matters in the defence debate.

Rear-Admiral Morgan-Giles

With the vast Soviet build-up at sea, is not the case for the British independent nuclear deterrent stronger than it has ever been? Instead of making carping comments about it in the House, should we not, on both sides, pay tribute to the men who man that deterrent day and night so that we may sleep quietly in our beds?

Mr. Gilmour

I entirely agree with my hon. and gallant Friend that we should pay tribute to those who man our nuclear deterrent. I do not think there is serious disagreement between the two sides on the question of an independent deterrent. After all, the previous Government kept it between 1964 and 1970