HC Deb 09 May 1989 vol 152 cc421-2W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table showing(a) the total number and explosive capacity, respectively, of all nuclear warheads removed from deployment, (b) the total number and description of all chemical weapons removed from deployment and (c) the total number of conventional weapons and descriptions of each type removed from deployment by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation since 1959; and whether the withdrawals were made by unilateral or multilateral decisions.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Much of the information requested is not available in the detail and format required or is classified. However, I am able to offer the following comments:

  1. (a) In 1979, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to reduce by 1,000 the number of nuclear warheads stockpiled in Europe, and in 1983 (at Montebello) agreed to reduce the stockpile by a further 1,400 warheads. 422 These two actions brought the NATO nuclear stockpile in Europe to its lowest level since 1969. This level is being further reduced as warheads are removed in association with the implementation of the INF treaty.
  2. (b) There are no chemical weapons declared to NATO. The United Kingdom abandoned its own chemical weapons capability in the late 1950s. The United States has only a limited retaliatory capability and has announced at the opening of the CFE talks in March 1989 that it would accelerate the withdrawal of its CW stocks from the Federal Republic of Germany, previously planned to be completed by 1992. Moreover, the United States has destroyed some 15 million pounds of chemical agent since 1970.
  3. (c) We do not hold comprehensive information on all the past modernisation and disposal measures which have been carried out by our NATO allies.

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