§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their intentions regarding the future of the Polaris submarines, in view of proposals by the United States Administration to replace its Polaris programme by the development of new submarines carrying the new missile Poseidon.]
The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE for DEFENCE, R.A.F. (Lord Winter-bottom)My Lords, I understand that it is the intention of the United States Administration to convert 31 of their existing 41 Polaris submarines to carry Poseidon and to continue to deploy Polaris missiles in the remaining 10 submarines. Her Majesty's Government's intentions regarding the future of the United Kingdom's Polaris submarine force remain unchanged.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend this supplementary question? Is it not the case that the adoption of Poseidon missiles will make our present Polaris submarines obsolete, and are there not two alternatives, either to buy from the U.S.A. or to develop them ourselves? Would not both be utterly ruinous in cost?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, my noble friend is peering a long way into the future. All weapons of war become obsolete. At the moment, the weapons on the Polaris submarines are entirely adequate for our purposes.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether it would not be very much better if we ceased to attempt nuclear competition in the world and made the offer to sink these Polaris weapons as a contribution to international disarmament?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, that is the noble Lord's personal view. 1422 It is not the view of Her Majesty's Government.
Earl JELLICOEMy Lords, is the noble Lord, Lord Winterbottom, aware that the answers which he gave to the noble Lord's original Question and to his first supplementary struck at least this member of the Opposition as eminently sensible?