§ 2.45 p.m.
§ Lord Jenkins of PutneyMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will undertake that the Falkland Islands task force will not use, deploy or carry nuclear weapons.
§ Viscount TrenchardMy Lords, I can state categorically that there is no question at all of our using nuclear weapons in this dispute. It has been the longstanding practice of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny the presence or absence of nuclear weapons in any particular place at any particular time.
§ Lord Jenkins of PutneyMy Lords, nevertheless, is the noble Viscount aware that I am glad to receive confirmation of what he said the other day; that is, that nuclear weapons were, to use the words I think he used,"not applicable"in the present case? I take it that that is as near as he can go to confirmation of my Question. Will he take this opportunity to reaffirm the Government's intention to secure, if at all possible, a peaceful conclusion to the Falklands issue?
§ Viscount TrenchardMy Lords, the words I used on this occasion were:
…there is no question at all of our using nuclear weapons…".I think that the noble Lord's further question does not follow from his original Question.