§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to ensure that Trident is included in any future five-power arms control negotiations.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Henley)We have stated at the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review and extension conference of states parties that a world in which the nuclear forces of the US and Russia were counted in hundreds rather than thousands would be one in which we would respond to the challenge of multilateral talks on the global reduction of nuclear arms.
§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the doubling of the number of warheads on Trident as compared to Polaris will strengthen or reduce the United Kingdom's nuclear capability following the withdrawal of the remaining free-fall nuclear weapons by the end of 1998.
§ Lord HenleyWith Trident we will continue our policy of deploying only the minimum nuclear capability necessary for deterrence purposes.