§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration has been given in the new North Atlantic Treaty Organisation political guidelines on use of nuclear weapons to the effects of fall-out from initial nuclear strikes on the civil populations of east and west Europe;
(2) whether the new guidance for use of nuclear weapons adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20–21 October includes a more extensive range of options for nuclear strikes on Soviet territory than the guidelines which they replace;
(3) whether the new guidelines for use of nuclear weapons adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20–21 October include provision for the use of nuclear weapons at sea;
(4) what consideration has been given in the new North Atlantic Treaty Organisation political guidelines on use of nuclear weapons to follow-on nuclear strikes;
(5) whether the new guidelines for use of nuclear weapons adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20 to 21 October include provision for single "demonstration" nuclear strikes designed to send a political signal of intention to escalate;
(6) whether the new guidelines for use of nuclear weapons adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20–21 October take account of the possibility of removal of all Pershing 2 and ground-launched cruise missiles from western Europe.
§ Mr. StanleyThe new guidelines codify and consolidate existing NATO doctrine and reinforce the fundamental principle in NATO that political control over any use of nuclear weapons is maintained at all times. The guidelines are classified; it is therefore not possible for me to comment in detail on their content.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether North Atlantic Treaty Organisation political guidelines existed for the use of British marine tactical nuclear weapons prior to the adoption of new guidelines by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20 and 21 October;
(2) in what circumstances it was envisaged British maritime tactical nuclear weapons might be used prior to the adoption of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation guidelines for their use at Gleneagles on 20 to 21 October.
§ Mr. StanleyProvisional political guidelines for the use of nuclear weapons in defence of NATO were established in 1969. They were approved by Ministers at a meeting of the NATO nuclear planning group on 12 November 1969. I cannot comment in detail on the provisions of the guidelines which are classified.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the provisions for use of nuclear weapons at sea, contained in the new guidelines for use of nuclear weapons, adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20 to 21 October, apply to British maritime tactical nuclear weapons.
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§ Mr. StanleyThe general political guidelines encompass all nuclear weapons assigned to NATO including British maritime tactical weapons.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the new guidelines for use of nuclear weapons adopted by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20–21 October alter the degree of discretion allowed to military commanders to translate political guidelines into operational practice.
§ Mr. StanleyI refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Oldham, Central and Royton (Mr. Lamond) on 23 October at column1296.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation colleagues on the replacement of United States Navy Poseidon warheads assigned to SACEUR by (a) United States Navy Trident warheads and (b) United States Navy Tomahawk nuclear cruise missiles.
§ Mr. StanleyNone.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects to be informed by the United States authorities when a new United States nuclear weapon system is deployed in Britain or its territorial waters.
§ Mr. StanleyMy right hon. Friend would expect to be consulted by the United States authorities if they propose to base a new class of nuclear weapons in Britain. But in accordance with long-standing policy neither the United States Government nor the British Government confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons at specific locations or on visiting warships.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the new guidelines for use of nuclear weapons adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Ministers at Gleneagles on 20–21 October change the procedures by which United States nuclear forces are reassigned from national to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation command in time of crisis or war.
§ Mr. StanleyThe guidelines are not concerned with the procedures for the assignment of national forces to NATO.