§ Mr. John MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the co-operation between his Department and the United States Navy on nuclear safety at the Holy Loch submarine base; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PattieYes. The British and American authorities have reached appropriate understandings on nuclear safety at United States facilities in the United Kingdom, including contingency arrangements for co-operation in the extremely unlikely event of a nuclear weapons accident leading to the release of fissile material into the environment. There has never been such an accident in the United Kingdom, although nuclear weapons of various kinds have been deployed here for over 30 years.