§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Defence whether it is his intention to place the Nassau British-American Agreement before the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Powers for debate; and to what extent his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military partners have been fully informed as to his recent decisions.
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§ Mr. ThorneycroftN.A.T.O. have already been informed about the Nassau Agreement and are now considering its implications for the Alliance.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Defence, within the Nassau agreement, what rights he has retained to use, independently of the United States of America, British nuclear weapons against conventionally-armed powers; and to what extent the use of the British fleet of Polaris-type submarines fitted with American-produced missiles will be subject to an American veto.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftUnder the Nassau Agreement Her Majesty's Government have an absolute right to use British nuclear weapons for any purpose if they decide that supreme national interests are at stake. This decision is for Her Majesty's Government alone.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Defence, within the Nassau Agreement, what joint United Kingdom-American political control is visualised over the use of Polaris missiles; and to what extent the British Polaris fleet of submarines will be dependent upon America for support facilities.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftBritish Polaris missiles will be under national control whenever Her Majesty's Government decide that the supreme national interests so require. In other circumstances, they will be under the political control of N.A.T.O. Some American support facilities may be used but nothing will be done which could interfere in any way with these control arrangements.