HC Deb 20 January 1981 vol 997 cc114-5W
15. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what precise arrangements have been arrived at in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for the distribution of cruise missiles in each member State of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Pattie

Of the 464 United States ground-launched cruise missiles to be based in Europe as part of the NATO long-range theatre nuclear force modernisation programme, 160 will be based in the United Kingdom, 96 in the Federal Republic of Germany—together with 108 Pershing II ballistic missiles—and 112 in Italy. Belgium and the Netherlands have still to take final decisions on basing missiles in their countries.

16. Mr. Roy Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has had any recent discussions with the European Economic Community Defence Ministers concerning the siting of cruise missiles in Western Europe.

Mr. Pattie

No.

Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether cruise missiles to be sited in the United Kingdom will have interchangeable chemical and nuclear warheads; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Goodhart

There has never been any suggestion that the 160 cruise missiles to be based in the United Kingdom as part of NATO's modernisation of its long-range theatre nuclear forces should have chemical warheads.