§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his statement,Official Report, 14 January, column 901, if he will outline the circumstances in which the threat of the use of a strategic weapon would not be credible whereas the threat of a sub-strategic weapon might be credible.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggNo. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on the circumstances in which nuclear weapons might be used. Deterrence is best served by ensuring uncertainty in the mind of any aggressor about the nature of our response.
§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy towards the complete removal of all tactical and sub-strategic nuclear weapons from Russia, all of the other former Soviet republics and from NATO countries.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe strongly endorsed United States and Soviet undertakings last autumn to eliminate all their ground-launched sub-strategic nuclear weapons, and have subsequently welcomed the Commonwealth of Independent States stated intention to honour that commitment.