§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will now seek to include the British nuclear capability in the Geneva arms reduction talks.
§ Mr. LuceNo. The negotiations in Geneva are about United States and Soviet nuclear weapons. The independent British strategic nuclear deterrent represents less than 3 per cent. of the present strategic nuclear forces of the Soviet Union and it would be quite wrong, as things stand, to seek to trade reductions with a super power. But, as my right hon. and learned Friend explained to the United Nations General Assembly in September, if Soviet and United States strategic arsenals were to be very substantially reduced, and if no significant changes had occurred in Soviet defensive capabilities, we would want to review our position and to consider how best we could contribute to arms control in the light of the reduced threat.
§ Mr. McKelveyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action Her Majesty's Government have taken to ensure a successful outcome of the Geneva nuclear arms reduction talks.
§ Mr. LuceFollowing the Russians' walk-out from the INF negotiations the British Government have said, both publicly and to the Soviet Government through diplomatic channels, that NATO stands ready to see United States-Soviet negotiations resumed at any time. We have also emphasised the flexibility of the Western position.