HC Deb 04 June 1985 vol 80 cc146-7W
24. Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the progress of the Trident programme.

Mr. Butler

Yes.

30. Mr. Terlezki

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his most recent estimate of the number of jobs which will be created in the United Kingdom by the Trident D5 programme.

Mr. Butler

As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 1 April 1985, at column511, the British Trident programme is expected to create, on average, approximately 9,000 job opportunities directly and 7,000 indirectly throughout the period of procurement, with a total of 170,000 man years of direct employment in the United Kingdom and 130,000 indirect man years over the programme as a whole. The number of job opportunities will run at about 17,000 direct and 13,000 indirect during the peak years. In addition, there are a number of British companies competing for work on the American Trident 2 programme, with the potential for further jobs being created in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Boyes

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether a calculation has been made of the number of casualties that would occur were Trident to be fired; and whether this forms a necessary part of an assessment of the deterrent value of the Trident system.

Mr. Butler

The number of casualties that would occur if a United Kingdom Trident missile were to be fired would depend on the targets selected. As was made clear in open government document 80/23, however, the Government's concept of deterrence is concerned essentially with posing a potential threat to key aspects of Soviet state power.