§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on(a) NATO strategy and (b) the United Kingdom nuclear deterrent of future reductions in the global total of nuclear warheads.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNATO is already in the process of reviewing and adapting its strategy to reflect the changed security environment. The communiqué issued following the meeting of its defence planning committee and nuclear planning group in Brussels on 28–29 May looked forward to the approval of a new alliance strategic concept later this year. It also reaffirmed alliance policy of seeking the lowest level of nuclear weapons commensurate with alliance security requirements.
Likewise, the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent has always been the minimum necessary to deter aggression and guarantee our security, and is not based on any numerical correlation with the nuclear arsenals of others. However, if, in time, the United States and Soviet strategic arsenals were further reduced substantially, and if there had been no significant improvements in defensive capabilities, we would consider how best to contribute to the arms control process in the light of the changed circumstances.