Nuclear Weapons, Staffordshire (Hansard, 1 February 1982)

§ Mr. Blaker

I have replied to the Cannock Chase district council through the hon. Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts). The text of my letter was as follows29th January 1982 As you know, the Secretary of the Cannock Chase District Council wrote to the Home Secretary on 7th December 1981 to advise him of a resolution passed by the Council calling on the Government "to refrain from the manufacture or positioning of nuclear weapons of any kind within the boundaries of our County". As this resolution concerned matters which are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, the letter has been passed to my Department for reply. In view of the Parliamentary Question you have tabled referring to this letter, I am replying to Cannock Chase District Council through you, and I shall of course publish this letter in answer to your Question on 1st February. I should say first that, although motions similar to that of Cannock Chase Council have been passed by a number of local councils, issues of national security are, of course, the responsibility of the Government and not of local authorities. The Government remains fully committed to the NATO strategy of deterrence, which has been supported by successive British Governments, and those of our NATO Allies for over 30 years, during which time we have enjoyed peace in Europe. Faced with the threat posed by the massive military forces, both conventional and nuclear, of the Soviet Union and its allies, the continued possession of nuclear weapons is essential if we are to maintain a credible deterrent. We shall of course continue to strive for the reduction and eventual removal of these weapons from both sides, by balanced, realistic and verifiable arms control measures. Unilateral abandonment of the West's nuclear forces would, however, only serve to undermine our security and increase, rather than decrease the risk of war. In response to the Cannock Chase motion, I should like to deal with two specific points arising from the continued basing of nuclear weapons in this country which I know cause concern to many people. Firstly the suggestion that having nuclear weapons here makes us more of a target for nuclear weapons. Should a war occur, it is an inescapable fact that the geographic, industrial and political importance of the United Kingdom would make us a target in any attack on the West. Far from increasing that risk, the presence of nuclear weapons here reduces it by ensuring that a war remains highly unlikely. But it is vitally important that NATO should maintain an effective defence, including nuclear forces, so as to ensure this continues to be the case. Secondly there are fears about the safety of nuclear weapons. These are understandable, but unfounded. We go to great lengths in the design, handling, transport and storage of nuclear weapons to minimise the risks and potential consequences of an accident. Nuclear weapon safety is given a very high priority and the strictest safety standards are applied. The risk of an accident is extremely small, and even were one to occur, it would be virtually impossible for it to lead to an accidental nuclear explosion. At the very worst it could result in the dispersal of some radioactive material into the local environment, but no accident of this kind has ever occurred in the UK. I should be grateful if you would pass a copy of this letter to the Secretary of the Cannock Chase District Council with the assurance that it will remain the Government's first priority to preserve the security of the United Kingdom and hence our peace and freedom. We believe that, together with our Allies, maintenance of an adequate defence, together with the vigorous pursuit of balanced arms control agreements, is the safest and best means to this end.

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