§ 20. Mr. Norman Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the significance in terms of nuclear balance of the British Polaris force to the overall North Atlantic Treaty Organisation strategy.
§ Mr. HeseltineThe British Polaris force is of the minimum size required to provide an effective deterrent. It represents only a very small fraction, just over 2 per cent., of the Soviet strategic nuclear force. It can in no way be considered as a substitute for the United States nuclear guarantee in NATO. Its significance lies in the fact that it increases the uncertainty in the mind of a potential aggressor about the risks involved in starting a war in Europe.