Nuclear Weapons
Oral Answers to Questions — Defence
House of Commons debates, 2 November 2009, 2:30 pm
David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells, Conservative)
What recent progress his Department has made in its assessment of the UK's nuclear defence needs; and if he will make a statement.
Bob Ainsworth (Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence; Coventry North East, Labour)
The UK's nuclear deterrence policy remains as that set out in the 2006 White Paper and, as is clear in that paper, is kept under continuous review. The Prime Minister recently announced in New York that, subject to continued progress in multilateral negotiations and a report on technical feasibility, he would wish with the next class of deterrent submarines to deliver a posture of one on patrol at all times and a fleet of three, rather than four, submarines. He has directed the National Security Committee to report by the end of the year on those two issues, and the MOD is closely involved in this work.
David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells, Conservative)
The Secretary of State talks entirely about a traditional submarine-based deterrent. Given that the future nuclear threat may well come not from established states but from irregular groups and organisations, will he consider other, more flexible deterrents that use new technologies, rather than big submarines that have big missiles on them?
Bob Ainsworth (Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence; Coventry North East, Labour)
It is the Government's policy to maintain a minimum strategic nuclear deterrent; it is not our policy to develop a range of tactical nuclear weapons that can be used in the kind of circumstances that the right hon. Gentleman mentions. I do not believe that that is the policy of his party, which appears to be a bit flaky on the maintenance of the strategic deterrent.