HC Deb 23 March 1982 vol 20 cc785-6
5. Mr. Greenway

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department has taken to ensure that Her Majesty's Government's policy on nuclear weapons is made clear to the general public.

Mr. Blaker

Defence policy, including the need for nuclear weapons, is set out in the annual statement on the Defence Estimates and in open Government documents such as that recently produced on Trident. A range of fact sheets and pamphlets on deterrence and disarmament subjects is also published by the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, the Central Office of Information has recently produced, and is now distributing on request, an audio-visual film called "A Better Road to Peace", setting out the reasons for our policies on deterrence and multilateral disarmament.

Mr. Greenway

Although I welcome the fact that the Ministry is issuing leaflets giving the facts about nuclear deterrence and multilateral disarmament, will my hon. Friend give an assurance that they will include the important moral arguments involved? Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that the United Kingdom has drastically cut its contribution to the NATO information budget, which will affect the information services on this subject in Britain, and will he do something about it?

Mr. Blaker

The main purpose of those publications is to give the facts about deterrence and multilateral disarmament. That is necessary because of some of the mis-statements of fact that have emanated from the unilateralist organisations. The publications cover the facts and the arguments, including the moral arguments. The NATO information services are a matter for my right hon. and noble Friend the Foreign Secretary, and I shall draw his attention to that point.

Mr. James Lamond

Will the Government's propaganda effort include the statement in the Government's White Paper that there is no evidence of any sort to show that the Warsaw Pact has aggressive intentions towards Western Europe? [Interruption.] Will the hon. Gentleman make it clear that between NATO and France, the West has 7, 000 nuclear warheads designed for use in Europe, while the Soviet Union has 4, 000?

Mr. Blaker

I cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's figures. He has described the Government's information effort as "propaganda". I do not know how he would describe a document that I have in front of me. It is a full-page advertisement from The Times, which was put out in 1969 by the Labour Government and which supports Britain's acquisition of Polaris.

Mr. Buck

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the fundamental considerations of the Government's policy are precisely the same as those that caused the Labour Government to upgrade our Polaris deterrent by the introduction of Chevaline?

Mr. Blaker

I entirely agree with my hon. and learned Friend. It is curious that when it is in Opposition the Labour Party adopts one attitude towards such matters, and when it is in Government it appears to adopt another.

Mr. John Silkin

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the right hon. Member for Sidcup (Mr. Heath) inaugurated Chevaline? However, that is just by the way. Is the Minister also aware that the Opposition welcome a public debate on Trident, and that we started that debate and are winning it? Is he aware that he and his right hon. and hon. Friends will have to do much better than the fact sheets that the Ministry of Defence has put forward at the Hillhead by-election?

Mr. Blaker

It is accurate to say that when the Labour Party was in power, it endorsed Chevaline.

Mr. John Silkin

The hon. and learned Gentleman said "introduced".

Mr. Blaker

I do not think that I used the word "introduced". I said "endorsed". The Labour Party's policy—as expounded by the Leader of the Opposition—is that if a Government led by him were to disarm unilaterally, other countries would follow us. That is a little ironic, since the right hon. Gentleman seems to find it difficult to set an example to his party.

Mr. John Silkin

May I correct the hon. Getleman? In the first place, the word used was "introduced", not "endorsed". Secondly, my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition has spoken about unilateral nuclear disarmament, but never about disarmament as such.

Mr. Blaker

I accept the right hon. Gentleman's latter point.

Back to