§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of nuclear weapons held by parties to international arms control negotiations which are(a) vulnerable to an early strike and (b) currently on alert status; and if he will make a statement. [4738]
§ Dr. ReidI have been asked to reply as this matter falls within my area of responsibility. We share the view of the United States that heavy and multiple warheaded ICBMs are the most potentially vulnerable and destabilising strategic weapons. There are currently several thousand warheads deployed on such systems. We support, therefore, the efforts being made by the US to achieve the deactivation and subsequent elimination of these systems through the ratification by Russia of the START II Treaty.