HC Deb 24 October 1989 vol 158 cc660-1
12. Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his United States counterpart about stand-off missiles.

Mr. Alan Clark

My right hon. Friend, as he just told the House, will be meeting the United States Secretary of Defence later today at the meeting with NATO's nuclear planning group, when he will discuss a wide range of matters of mutual interest. It is not our general practice to disclose the details of such discussions.

Ms. Mowlam

I understand that it is not the Minister's intention to give us details of those discussions, but it would be useful if he could give the House some assurance about whether there is any intention to purchase stand-off hydrogen bomb missiles from the United States.

Mr. Clark

Yes, there is a NATO requirement for a medium-range stand-off weapon. That was emphasised in paragraph 92 of the Select Committee report, which suggested that that was the preferable route now that the free-fall bombs were becoming obsolete. The warhead will, of course, be manufactured in this country. We are talking only about the delivery systems.

Mr. Bill Walker

When my right hon. Friend meets the Americans will he remind them of the problem that we are facing in Europe created by the West Germans refusing to allow adequate capability for low-flying aircraft? That has the result of reducing our deterrent capability in the eyes of the enemy. Will he therefore confirm that the need for a stand-off weapon system is essential if the United States and the Royal Air Force are to be credible deterrents?

Mr. Clark

There is no doubt that the stand-off weapon is a requirement and my right hon. Friend will be discussing that. I do not doubt that my right hon. Friend will have noted the points made by my hon. Friend about low-flying aircraft.

Mr. O'Neill

Does not the Minister agree that stand-off missiles on aircraft with in-flight refuelling, the like of which have been described in the press this week, will have a range capable of replicating the work which would have been done by ground-launched cruise missiles, and that because of that and because of their range, these would circumvent at least the spirit if not the text of the INF treaty? It is thus an extremely provocative deployment at a time when we seek further disarmament and possible reductions in tension in Europe.

Mr. Clark

Those missiles do not come within the scope of the INF treaty, which is ground based, and they are not comparable with cruise missiles because both the method of delivery and the warhead are different.