§ Lord Eltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they regard the increase in Soviet military installations in the Kola Peninsula observed in the decade to 1989, and in part recorded in "Kola Satellite Image Atlas" published by the Norwegian Atlantic Committee this year, as a continuing threat to NATO's northern flank.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (The Earl of Arran)During the 1980s improvements in the defence infrastructure of the Kola Peninsula resulted in significant enhancements in the defensive capabilities of the Soviet armed forces in the region. The offensive capabilities of the northern fleet have also been enhanced, though to a lesser extent. A threat therefore continues to remain on NATO's northern flank.