§ Mr. Hoodasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the efforts of the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate the whole range of nuclear weapons which are located on European soil.
§ Mr. MellorWe warmly welcome the prospect of an intermediate nuclear force agreement which, if attainable, 399W will eliminate a whole class of nuclear weapons, many of which are deployed in Europe. It is not United States or NATO policy to seek the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons from Europe. Even after an INF agreement, NATO faces a formidable threat from Soviet and Warsaw Pact nuclear, conventional and chemical forces. It is our policy to continue to rely for our security on deterrence based on a mix of conventional and nuclear weapons for the foreseeable future.