HL Deb 01 March 1988 vol 494 c171WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How, if "the effect on Britain's deterrent of deployed [strategic] defences is hypothetical" (Written Answer, Lord Glenarthur, Official Report, 11th February col. 396) they can take the state of Soviet defences into account in their approach to participation in strategic arms control negotiations.

Lord Trefgarne

The earlier reply given to the noble Lord by my noble friend Lord Glenarthur assumed that the noble Lord was referring to the possibility of Soviet deployment of strategic defences beyond those currently permitted by the ABM Treaty. Such deployment is hypothetical because the feasibility of broad scale defences is unproven and the form which Soviet defence might take is uncertain. But of course we consider existing defences and known, planned alterations to them.