Soviet SS20 Missiles

HC Deb 24 July 1985 vol 83 cc582-3W

21. Mr. Neil Thorne

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the consequences for arms control of recent new deployments of Soviet SS20 missiles.

43. Mr. Patrick Nicholls

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of recent increases in the deployment of Soviet SS20 missiles.

Mr. Luce

The new figure of 423 SS20 missiles shows continued deployment by the Russians in spite of the moratorium announced by Mr. Gorbachev in April, when the SS20 figure was 414. The deployment highlights the need for the Soviet Union to negotiate seriously to reach a balanced agreement at Geneva. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation maintains its decision to halt, reverse or modify its intermediate nuclear force deployments in accordance with the terms of a negotiated agreement.