§ 14. Dr. Mawhinneyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest assessment of deployment of medium-range nuclear weapons by the Warsaw Pact.
§ Mr. BlakerThe Soviet Union has now deployed a total of 324 modern SS20 missiles, each with three warheads. Approximately two-thirds of those weapons face Western Europe. In addition, there are still up to 275 SS4s or SS5s deployed in the Western Soviet Union, and approximately 500 aircraft.
§ Dr. MawhinneyWill my hon. Friend assure the House that the threat posed by those weapons will be resisted by appropriate deterrents and that there will be a determined effort by the Government to see the number of such weapons reduced?
§ Mr. BlakerI entirely agree with my hon. Friend. As I explained earlier, we put forward proposals for disarmament negotiations in 1979. The Russians were slow to take up that offer. I am glad to say that they are now negotiating with the United States, but meanwhile we have to continue with our preparations for the deployment of those missiles. I believe that any other course would be fatal to any prospect of success in those negotiations.