HL Deb 09 October 1989 vol 511 cc131-2WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they agree with the statement of Soviet Rear Admiral Khiyaynen that cruise missile submarines provide the major offensive capability "against the escort and security forces of large convoys, super-units and (battle) groups of aircraft carriers", and, whether the reduction of such cruise missile submarines by way of arms control would not improve the safe passage of merchant ships carrying reinforcements and supplies across the Atlantic and the Channel.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (The Earl of Arran)

Cruise missile submarines form only part of a comprehensive Soviet offensive capability against merchant ships carrying reinforcements and supplies across the Atlantic. Their reduction by way of arms control would not, therefore, necessarily simplify the task of defending such units; substantial danger would remain not only from torpedo firing submarines but also from surface and air forces.

Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What, except the opposition of the US Navy, are the grounds for the exclusion from East-West negotiations of confidence-building measures at sea and of all arms control measures at sea, in the light of the ever increasing insufficiency of merchant shipping and crews for Transatlantic and Trans-channel reinforcement, and economic supply to western Europe, in the event of crisis or war.

The Earl of Arran

The Confidence and Security Building Measures talks currently under way in Vienna cover naval activities provided that these are part of activities taking place within Europe. The current conventional arms control talks exclude naval forces by agreement of all the parties.

Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the grounds on which they have determined that Soviet sea-launched cruise missiles can pose no strategic threat to the United Kingdom or to Western Europe, as appears from their support for the exclusion of these weapons from the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks.

The Earl of Arran

The question of the relationship of sea-launched cruise missiles to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks is a bilateral matter for the US and Soviet Governments. In their joint statement following the Washington Summit meeting in December 1987 both governments committed themselves to establish ceilings on such missiles and to seek mutually acceptable and effective means of verification of such limitations.