HC Deb 21 March 1985 vol 75 cc548-9W
Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the targets of nuclear attack in Britain during the Intex 85 exercise;

(2) what was the total number of deaths envisaged throughout the European North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries during the Intex 85 exercise;

(3) what was the total explosive yield of the nuclear attack on European North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries during the Intex 85 exercise;

(4) if he will state the total explosive yield of the simulated nuclear attack on Britain during the Intex 85 civil defence exercise.

Mr. Giles Shaw

Intex 85 is one in a series of annual international exercises prepared and co-ordinated by the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation for national civil warning and monitoring organisations in European NATO countries. The exercise scenario is designed to test all parts of the warning and monitoring system and is not an indication of any specific Government planning assumption.

On this occasion a total of 164 bombs with a range of theoretical explosive yields between 100 Kt and 2 Mt were deemed to have been detonated over the United Kingdom and a further 180 bombs in the range 5 Kt to 2 Mt were plotted over the continental NATO countries. The total explosive yield is not readily available. The locations of the nuclear bursts were distributed over the widest geographical area in order to ensure that all parts of the organisations and their monitoring procedures were fully practiced in pre-selected weather conditions. Casualty estimates were not made.