§ Q3. Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister if she will publish a Green Paper on the case for and the case against acquiring the Trident missile.
§ The Prime MinisterAs the House already knows, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence will be making a statement on this matter after Question Time today.
§ Mr. Dalyellrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I shall be prepared to call the hon. Gentleman on the statement—if he would prefer that—after he has heard what has been said.
§ Mr. DalyellThe question is addressed to the Head of the Government. On such a momentous issue, is it right to put a fait accompli to the House of Commons?
§ The Prime MinisterI believe that on a matter of this kind we have to do just that, and fully explain our reasons for it in a paper to the House.
Mr. James CallaghanA few moments ago the right hon. Lady said that she believes in discussing these matters with her allies. Is she not ready to have a discussion with the House of Commons on what is probably the most important matter to come before it for 12 years? Should not she be making the statement herself? Does not she realise that there ought to be a serious and informed debate on this issue before the House finally makes up its mind?
§ The Prime MinisterWe had a debate on the nuclear deterrent in January. That was the first debate that we have had in this House on that subject that I remember. The right hon. Gentleman will remember his own reticence on Chevaline. [Interruption.] When it came to taking a decision on the replacement of Polaris, we thought it right to take it in this way and to announce it to the House. A paper will be published on the reasons for the decision, as promised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence during that previous debate.