HC Deb 17 June 1986 vol 99 cc490-1W
20. Mr. Jack Thompson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how long Her Majesty's Government envisage it would take to transport sufficient quantity of binary chemical weapons to Europe from the United States of America in a time of crisis.

Mr. Stanley

Detailed arrangements would he a matter for the United States, but timing would be of course largely depend on the priority of the task in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time.

23. Mr. Sedgemore

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if any consultations have taken place between the United States and the United Kingdom on a draft plan for the deployment of United States binary munitions in the United Kingdom in a time of crisis.

Mr. Stanley

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) on 3 June, at columns 428–29.

Mr. Greenway

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what study his Department has made of the strategic options available to him in the event of Soviet use of battlefield chemical weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Stanley

The essence of NATO's strategy of deterrence and flexible response is that NATO maintains a range of possible responses to aggression in any form against any NATO country. There would therefore be a range of possible responses to the use of chemical weapons against NATO by the Soviet Union.