§ 47. Mr. S. Silvermanasked the Minister for Defence whether paragraph 12 of the 1958 Defence White Paper, which states that a major attack on any North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally with conventioned forces only would be met by resort to strategic nuclear weapons remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government.
§ 48. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister for Defence whether it is still the policy of the Government, as stated by his predecessor and the Prime Minister in the House on 26th Febraury, 1958, to resort to nuclear weapons first against a mobilisation of large forces or a major attack with conventional arms on a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally, on the ground that otherwise the possession of nuclear weapons would be useless and the only alternative would be surrender.
§ Mr. WatkinsonIt remains the case, as was stated in 1958, that a major attack on the West would have to be met by all the retaliatory forces that are at the disposal of the Allies, including, if necessary, long range strategic nuclear forces. The existence of the latter at a high state of readiness is the most important element of the West's deterrent to war. It is primarily by this means that peace is at present secured and no revision of policy is called for.