§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will define "joint decision" in the context of the use of nuclear weapons; and to what extent this gives a power of veto to the United States of America;
(2)whether any nuclear weapon stationed or proposed to be stationed in Great Britain, including Trident, could be used without the joint decision referred to by the Prime Minister in her answer to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) Official Report, 21 December 1979, c. 321;
(3)whether joint decision applies to the use of any nuclear weapon by the United States.
§ Mr. PymOur understanding with the United States provides that the use of certain bases in the United Kingdom by the United States in an emergency would be a matter for joint decision by Her Majesty's Government and the United States Government in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time.
This understanding is concerned only with the US nuclear forces using facilities in the territory of the United Kingdom and is not, therefore, relevant to other United States nuclear forces. Nor does it apply to forces equipped with United Kingdom nuclear weapons, such as our Vulcan and Polaris forces and, in due course, Trident; the United States has no veto over their use.