§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Defence if it is intended to negotiate an offset agreement with the United States Government as part of the contract for the purchase of the Trident missile.
§ Mr. PymThe transfer of a strategic system is a very different issue from a conventional arms transfer and it would not have been appropriate in the circumstances to press for offset arrangements. The understandings set out in my exchange of letters with the United States Secretary of Defence, published in the White Paper (Cmnd 7979), represent a fair deal from the United Kingdom's point of view. Moreover, over 70 per cent. of the total capital cost of the programme will be spent in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the approximate cost of the first equipment for the Trident submarines which will be ordered in about 18 months time.
§ Mr. PymThe build-up of expenditure in the early years will depend on detailed design decisions not yet taken, but, quite apart from expenditure on other elements of the programme, we would expect to be entering substantial commitments in about 18 months.