§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have seen the text of the United States Secretary for Defense's speech on 22nd January, which is reported to have been cleared by the White House, in which he states that the Reagan Administration "may be nearing" a decision on when to deploy the first phase of the Strategic Defense Initiative and whether they consider this apparently authoritative statement to be compatible with the statement made, also with President Reagan's agreement by the Prime Minister on 15th November 1986.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)I have seen the speech of 22nd January. The statement made by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister on 15th November was agreed with President Reagan. It was thus a statement of US policy.