§ Mr. John EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of people employed both directly and indirectly in the nuclear weapons programme; how many are involved in research; how many are involved in manufacture; what are the running costs of employing these personnel, and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeubertIt would not be in the interests of national security to reveal the number or deployment of staff at the 639W atomic weapons establishment. However our very broad estimate of the number of people in the United Kingdom whose employment is directly or indirectly dependent on nuclear defence is some 40,000.