HC Deb 18 January 1994 vol 235 cc507-8W
Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the policy of the Government on involvement of the United Kingdom in strategic nuclear arms control negotiations.

Mr. Hanley

Our policy continues to be that if, in time, the United States and former Soviet arsenals were further reduced substantially, and there had been no significant improvements in defensive capability, we would consider what further contribution we might make to nuclear arms control in the changed circumstances.

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 November,Official Report, column 527, if an increase in accuracy of delivery allows a reduction in the number of warheads deployed or the yield of the warheads deployed.

Mr. Hanley

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 30 November 1993,Official Report, column 527.

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any nuclear arms control treaties have measured nuclear capability according to comparative explosive yield of the weapons involved.

Mr. Hanley

The United Kingdom is not party to all nuclear arms control treaties, most of which are bilateral between the nuclear super-powers, but we are not aware of any that measure nuclear capability in this way.