HL Deb 07 November 1986 vol 481 c1259WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of Ministry of Defence research and development is currently devoted to (a) SDI; and (b) to "European Architecture" other than as part of SDI.

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)

MoD research and development expenditure is not devoted to SDI as such, although a significant fraction of the research undertaken by the MoD over an extended period as part of the UK defence programme has been in areas now seen also to be relevant to the US research programme. "European Architecture" is a term of art used in the latter programme, on which a US-funded study is being carried out by the MoD. The study itself will benefit considerably from the research done and already referred to in particular relevant background areas; and more generally from the experience acquired in developing an effective counter to the deployed Soviet ABM system.