HL Deb 16 January 1989 vol 503 c92WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they agree with the view of the United States Navy that the deployment of nuclear armed cruise missiles at sea is desirable, or that of the Norwegian Government, which is that they should be prohibited or limited because, among other things, many more sensitive targets in NATO countries are accessible to land attack by SLCMs than in the Warsaw Pact countries.

Lord Trefgarne

Nuclear armed sea-launch cruise missiles (SLCM), which the US Navy has been deploying since 1984, provide a flexible and survivable addition to the US sea-based nuclear deterrent. Her Majesty's Government supports the continuation of the SLCM programme.