§ Mr. Cohenasked the Prime Minister why Her Majesty's Government refuse to enter into direct negotiations towards achieving a comprehensive test ban treaty.
§ The Prime MinisterIt would be premature to open negotiations on a comprehensive test ban treaty until progress is made on outstanding problems, notably verification. We welcome the stage-by-stage approach adopted by the United States and the Soviet Union which aims as a first step at agreement upon effective verification measures which will make possible the ratification of the bilateral 1974 threshold test ban and 1976 peaceful nuclear explosions treaties.
§ Mr. Cohenasked the Prime Minister what change is envisaged in the role of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons toward the conventional forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic in the event of substantial measures of nuclear disarmament.
§ The Prime MinisterFor as long as the security of this country and our allies continues to depend on nuclear deterrence, I envisage no significant change in the role of United Kingdom nuclear weapons.
§ Mr. Cohenasked the Prime Minister at what stage Her Majesty's Government will enter the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons into the strategic arms reduction process.
§ The Prime MinisterThe conditions that must be met before we could consider associating our independent deterrent with the arms control process are well known. They were set out by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at the United Nations in 1983
If Soviet and US strategic arsenals were to be very substantially reduced, and if no significant changes had occurred in Soviet defensive capabilities, Britain would want to review her position and to consider how best she could contribute to arms control in the light of the reduced threat.
§ Mr. Cohenasked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to withdraw battlefield nuclear weapons from West Germany; if she has received any representations from the Federal Republic of Germany to this effect; and if she will make a statement.
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§ The Prime MinisterUnder long-standing Alliance arrangements, British forces in Germany operate battlefield weapons systems capable of firing nuclear warheads supplied by the United States. I have no plans to withdraw from these arrangements, nor have I received any representations from the German Government asking me to do so.