§ Mr. McMahonasked the Prime Minister whether she intends to hold talks on the deployment of cruise missiles in Europe with the President of the United States of America and other leaders of European countries.
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§ The Prime MinisterNATO'S double decision on force modernisation and arms control negotiations was on the agenda of the NATO summit in Bonn, which I attended last June. I have discussed the subject further with individual allied leaders whom I have met since. It will remain on the agenda of my talks with Western leaders, including Vice-President Bush who comes to London in February.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Prime Minister how many cruise missiles are intended to be based in the United Kingdom by December 1984; and how many warheads targeted on the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics this will represent.
§ The Prime MinisterIn the absence of concrete results in the arms control negotiations in Geneva, 160 cruise missiles each with a single warhead will be based in the United Kingdom beginning in December 1983. The deployment programme will be spread over several years, but it is too early to say how many will be in place by December 1984. Deployment can, of course, be halted or reversed at any stage depending upon the outcome of the Geneva negotiations. It is not our practice to discuss targeting policy.