§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the successor to the RAF's free-fall nuclear weapon would need testing; and, if so, where it would be tested, since the US testing site is no longer available.
Viscount CranborneCurrent US legislation provides for three UK nuclear tests at the Nevada test site between 1st July 1993 and 30th September 1996. No decision has been taken on a WE177 replacement, but development of a suitable warhead could be completed, even assuming that we are unable to test beyond 1996.