§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to use nuclear weapons first in response to a conventional attack.
§ The Prime MinisterThe 1990 NATO London declaration made clear that, while NATO will never in any circumstances be the first to use force, nuclear weapons will continue to fulfil an essential role in the overall strategy of the alliance to prevent war by ensuring that there are no circumstances in which nuclear retaliation in response to military action might be discounted.