HC Deb 23 January 1963 vol 670 cc66-7W
Mr. John Hall

asked the Minister of Defence if he has made an assessment of the cost, in terms both of money and the diversion of scientific and technical manpowers, of equipping the armed forces with British designed and manufactured nuclear weapons of the continuing effectiveness necessary to provide Great Britain with an independent deterrent.

Mr. Thorneycroft

Various projects for wholly British-manufactured deterrent weapon systems have been considered. In the view of Her Majesty's Government the Polaris system is to be preferred on grounds both of time scale and of cost, as well as of its proven capacity.