§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Defence how verification of cruise missiles will be obtained in any arms reduction programme agreed after 1983.
§ Mr. SpeedThe precise verification arrangements which would apply under any future agreement limiting cruise missiles would be a matter for resolution between the negotiating parties. The principle embodied in the SALT agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union is that limitations on the systems covered, including cruise missiles, should be verified by the national technical means of the two parties.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many cruise missiles have been tested; what was the precentage of successful tests; and if any missiles have been tested from the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. SpeedThe research and development programme for United States cruise missiles is a matter for the United States Government. However, I understand that there have been 72 flight trials of the General Dynamics Tomahawk cruise missile to date—the Tomahawk is the cruise missile to be deployed in Europe as part of the modernisation of NATO's theatre nuclear forces—in which a success rate of the order of 80 per cent. was achieved. No flight tests of these missiles have been carried out in the United Kingdom, nor will they be in future.