Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence there is that any country outside the acknowledged nuclear weapons states has developed a nuclear capable re-entry vehicle for use with a ballistic missile system.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAny country which acquires or develops a ballistic missile for military purposes will also require as part of the missile package a means of delivering its payload. Whether or not this comprises a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead will depend on its range and payload.
For an assessment of countries known or believed to have deployed ballistic missiles I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the hon. Member for Western Isles (Mr. MacDonald) on 22 January 1990. We cannot comment on the capabilities of all of these missiles.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Trident ballistic missile system falls within the remit of ballistic missiles covered by the missile technology control regime outlined on page 13 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990, volume 6.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe Trident D5 missile system falls within the range and payload parameters covered by the missile technology control regime. However, as the United Kingdom is an existing nuclear weapon state, our acquisition of the Trident system is not inconsistent with the MTCR's aim of preventing ballistic missile proliferation.