§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, under the terms of an intermediate nuclear forces treaty, the United Kingdom will have the right of veto over the inspection of United Kingdom territory by Soviet inspectors.
§ Mr. MellorThe details of the INF verification regime are still being discussed. We have been fully consulted at every stage by the United States on their proposals. Any provision in the verification regime relating to access by inspectors to the territory of the United Kingdom will have been agreed in advance by us. We expect to conclude an agreement with the United States setting out in detail the arrangements for inspections in this country. We also expect to conclude an agreement with the Soviet Union which will safeguard British sovereignty and security.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his statement,Official Report, 22 October, column 949, that NATO wishes to ensure that an intermediate nuclear forces agreement could not be circumvented by missiles of slightly shorter range, what is NATO's policy towards preventing circumvention of the agreement by the deployment of new or additional missiles of similar range but different type, namely sea or air launched.
§ Mr. MellorThere is no question of NATO circumventing an INF agreement. The INF treaty in prospect only concerns land-based intermediate range missiles. We and our NATO allies believe that nuclear weapons will be necessary for our security for the foreseeable future. Only the minimum number of weapons will be maintained. NATO defence Ministers recently reaffirmed our commitment to continue to implement those measures required to maintain the effectiveness and credibility of the Alliance's nuclear deterrent.