Sub-strategic Nuclear Weapons (Hansard, 21 November 1991)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (The Earl of Arran)
My Lords, as the NATO defence Ministers have recently affirmed, sub-strategic forces are required to provide the necessary political and military link between conventional and strategic nuclear forces. To perform this function they need to be kept effective and up to date.

§ Lord Mayhew
My Lords, is there really a NATO requirement for a British sub-strategic nuclear weapon system? Is there really some country which might not be deterred by the American, British and French strategic deterrent and by the French and American sub-strategic deterrent but which might be deterred if, in addition, there was a British sub-strategic nuclear weapon system? Is that scenario really credible? It does not seem credible to me.

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, the Government believe that the requirement is very necessary and credible. The noble Lord should bear in mind the great reduction that we and NATO are making in other nuclear weapon systems. For example, NATO is scrapping its nuclear artillery and Lance missiles and cutting the number of its nuclear bombs. That means an 80 per cent. overall reduction in the sub-strategic stockpile. In this country we are cutting the RAF nuclear strike squadrons from 11 to eight, giving up nuclear artillery and Lance, reducing substantially the stockpile of WE-177 nuclear bombs and in normal circumstances removing tactical nuclear weapons from Royal Navy ships.

§ The Earl of Kimberley
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the whole essence of any government, especially in this country, is that they should be responsible for defending the country and that, therefore, any steps taken which are deemed essential to secure a nuclear deterrent, whether sub or not, are indeed necessary?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, I strongly agree with my noble friend.

§ Lord Jenkins of Putney
My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that if the enemy has disappeared there is not much point in keeping weapons which are specifically designed for a particular situation which no longer exists? Are the Government prepared to reconsider their defence policy in light of the changes in the international situation?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, I thought that I made clear yesterday to the noble Lord, Lord Jenkins, that we have considered our defence policy in the light of recent changes. We still consider it absolutely vital to have both strategic and sub-strategic capability.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, can my noble friend enlighten me as to what is the strict definition of a sub-strategic nuclear weapon? I believe that I understand the meaning of the words "strategic" and "tactical", but what does sub-strategic mean?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, I hope that I can help my noble and learned friend on that point. In practice it means that, while an aggressor might discount the likelihood of NATO or the UK independently resorting to use of full strategic force, the existence of effective sub-strategic capability demonstrates that no one can hope to get away with successful aggression at conventional level without risking nuclear retaliation.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, if the Minister's noble and learned friend can understand that, I believe he can understand anything. Indeed, I now see that a great mind is at work. However, given that the United States has cancelled its own short-range attack missile, which was the Government's choice for—if I may use the expression—a tactical missile, what are the options now available to Her Majesty's Government?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, we are looking at several options including TASM, but we are also looking at additional options. The way forward is not yet totally known. Until the way forward is clearly known, we shall continue to use our WE-177 bombs, which will probably become obsolete towards the end of the century.

§ Lord Bonham-Carter
My Lords, does the noble Earl's explanation of "sub-strategic" help us to understand what the way forward is?

§ The Earl of Arran
Undoubtedly, my Lords.