§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether their agreement with the Reagan Administration on the purchase of Trident missiles will bind subsequent US Administrations.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)The Government are absolutely confident that the United States, our close partner in strategic weapons system procurement for nearly 25 years, will fully honour its commitment to supply Trident II to the United Kingdom.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they regard British Trident II missiles as having a first strike capability if used in a joint strike with similar United States weapons in conjunction with the United States New Maritime Strategy.
§ Lord TrefgarneThe British Government do not consider a "first strike" to be a practicable proposition under, or in conjunction with, any realistic strategy, nor does such a concept have any part in British, US or NATO planning.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what grounds they are satisfied that a single Trident submarine on station (unless it is operating in harness with similarly armed United States submarines) is not unreasonably vulnerable to Soviet Spetznaz, ASW, et cetera for "carrying the 1225WA nation's ultimate deterrent", given the current United States belief that 12–13 boats represent a minimum secure force.
§ Lord TrefgarneThe case for the Government's choice of a submarine platform for the UK strategic deterrent was clearly set out in DOGD 80/23. The US, as a super power, has requirements for strategic weapons of a quite different order from those of the UK.