HC Deb 05 June 2000 vol 351 cc18-9
15. Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)

What is the total warhead capacity of the Trident fleet. [122654]

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)

As announced in the strategic defence review, our minimum nuclear deterrent requires a stockpile of fewer than 200 operationally available warheads. The submarine on deterrent patrol carries 48 warheads.

Mr. Corbyn

Does the Secretary of State accept that even 48 warheads—about half the possible capacity—represent a huge proliferation of weapons compared with the previous Trident submarine system? Does he not follow the thinking of the right hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) and agree that, having signed up to the principle of nuclear disarmament, we should at least take Trident off patrol, ending the use or consideration of the use of such weapons, so that we may set an example to other countries that are thinking of acquiring or developing nuclear weapons?

Mr. Hoon

Perhaps my hon. Friend inadvertently referred to Trident when he meant Polaris. Nevertheless, the size of the United Kingdom's minimum deterrent depends not on the size of other nations' arsenals but on the minimum necessary to deter any threat to our vital interest. That was set out in the strategic defence review, and remains the Government's clear position.

Mr. Julian Brazier (Canterbury)

Would the Secretary of State like to reconsider his rather complacent answer about the possible nuclear threat from third-world countries? In view of the first conclusion of the American presidential commission on defence that that country faces a severe potential threat from the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of third-world countries, is it not time that we thought about some of the other measures that the Americans are taking besides Trident—a system of ballistic missile defence and a proper system of civil defence, which has almost disappeared in this country?

Mr. Hoon

I do not need, at this stage at any rate, to reconsider the answer that I gave only a few moments ago. As I made clear, we keep threats to the United Kingdom under continuous review. A threat consists both of the ability to deliver a ballistic weapon to the UK—capability—and of the intent to do so. We assess, for the moment, that no country in the world has both the capability and the intent to attack the UK with a ballistic weapon.