§ Mr. Nobleasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of replacing the Honest John tactical weapon with the Lance nuclear weapon; and what effect such a replacement programme will have 101W on his strategy for cutting defence costs and on the balance of payments.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe cost of purchasing the Lance nuclear weapon system is about £55 million, spread over six years. Several of our NATO allies also require such a weapon, and the American system is being brought under a common procurement programme. The requirement is not affected by the defence review, as it is an essential part of our contribution to NATO.