HC Deb 16 July 1987 vol 119 c635W
Mr. Frank Cook

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will examine during his next meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany the implications for current European nuclear disarmament negotiations of the forward basing of French intermediate range nuclear weapons on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany;

(2) what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Federal Republic of Germany on the implications for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty of French plans to make available to the Federal Republic of Germany dual key control on forward-based French intermediate range nuclear weapons deployed on West German territory.

Mr. Mellor

We know of no French plans to deploy French intermediate-range nuclear weapons on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. The French Prime Minister said in a newspaper interview at the end of June that there is no question of deploying French nuclear weapons outside French territory.

Mr. Frank Cook

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will raise the implications for nuclear arms control in Europe of the planned deployment of neutron weapons by France when he next attends (a) the Western European Union and (b) the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Foreign Ministers Group

(2) if he will direct the United Kingdom ambassador to the United Nations committee on disarmament to initiate discussions on the prospects of nuclear arms control in the light of French plans to deploy neutron weapons in Europe.

Mr. Mellor

We know of no French plans to deploy neutron weapons in Europe.