12. Mr. Alan Lee Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied with existing procedures and arrangements in the NATO nuclear planning group; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MasonYes, Sir. The Nuclear Planning Group is the principal NATO forum for the study and evaluation of nuclear policy questions of interest to the Alliance. Planning and consultation takes place both at official level and at the biannual ministerial meetings of the group, when policy plans, programmes and procedures for the possible use of nuclear weapons are established and reviewed. I recently attended the fifteenth ministerial meeting held in Bergen on 11th and 12th June.
Mr. WilliamsDiscussion is going on in the Pentagon about counter-force, counter-city strategy. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that in his view that is in no way damaging to the European element of NATO?
§ Mr. MasonI certainly give that assurance to my hon. Friend. Indeed, I praise the doctrine in the new strategy. It is in keeping with flexible response. The Americans can now develop a new targeting policy on counter-force—that is, against military targets as distinct from the major umbrella—as well as counter-city strategy.