HC Deb 14 January 1986 vol 89 c915
12. Mrs. Clwyd

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether Her Majesty's Government's policy on the deployment of nuclear weapons is still based on the concept of mutually assured destruction.

Mr. Stanley

Her Majesty's Government's policy on the deployment of nuclear weapons is based on the strategy of deterrence, which has preserved peace with freedom in western Europe for more than 40 years.

Mrs. Clwyd

Is the Minister aware that as recently as October Mr. Caspar Weinberger stated that mutually assured destruction had not kept the peace for 40 years and would not do so in the future? If the United States no longer believes in that policy, is it not surprising that this Government do?

Mr. Stanley

I assure the hon. Lady that the United States believes as firmly in the policy of deterrence as do this Government. I have some difficulty in noting that the hon. Lady cannot accept the policy of deterrence, given the fact that Labour Governments engaged in an expensive secret programme to enhance the United Kingdom's use of the nuclear deterrent.

Mr. Stokes

Will my right hon. Friend totally ignore the views of the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd), which are utterly rejected by the vast majority of the British people and will ensure the defeat of the Labour party in the next election?

Mr. Stanley

I assure my hon. Friend that I regard his comments as much more representative of the views of the British people than the comments of the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd).

Mr. Strang

Does the right hon. Gentleman accept that the deployment of highly accurate counter-force weapons, such as Trident, is destabilising because it creates the fear on the other side that such weapons might be used in a first strike and thus increases the chance of nuclear weapons being used sooner rather than later in a crisis?

Mr. Stanley

I see nothing destabilising in preserving the credibility of the deterrent. That policy was accepted by the Labour Government as well.