§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Defence if all United States systems mentioned in paragraph 23 of annex A of the defence Estimates and, in particular, the cruise missiles programmes arose as a response to the prior development of equivalent systems by the Soviet Union.
§ Mr. LeeWe have not suggested that each element of the United States strategic force modernisation programme has been undertaken as a specific response to the prior development of equivalent weapon systems by the Soviet Union. Paragraph 22 of annex A to the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1985" describes the extensive improvements to Soviet forces, and paragraph 23 explains that the United States modernisation programme is being undertaken in the light of these improvements as a whole.