Oral Answers to Questions — Nuclear Weapons

– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 23 June 1964.

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Photo of Mr Konni Zilliacus Mr Konni Zilliacus , Manchester, Gorton 12:00, 23 June 1964

asked the Prime Minister what agreement he has reached with President Johnson on a joint Anglo-American policy to preserve peace by maintaining nuclear superiority over the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Photo of Mr Emrys Hughes Mr Emrys Hughes , South Ayrshire

asked the Prime Minister what agreement he has reached with the President of the United States of America on a joint Anglo-American policy to preserve peace by securing nuclear superiority over Russia.

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

The hon. Gentlemen's summary of Anglo-American policy is oversimplified and even misleading. Our agreement was most recently set out in the joint communiqué issued after my talks with President Johnson in February, and circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT on 18th February.

Photo of Mr Konni Zilliacus Mr Konni Zilliacus , Manchester, Gorton

Does not the Prime Minister recall that in his speech during the weekend of 1st June he announced that in order to maintain peace it was necessary to preserve Anglo-American superiority in nuclear weapons? Is that the right hon. Gentleman's own unilateral doctrine? If so, how is it proposed to achieve it? Secondly, how does he propose to get the Soviet Union to agree, in a disarmament treaty, to accept the superiority of the West in nuclear weapons?

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

What happens at the disarmament conference is to work out balanced arrangements with the Soviet Union. That is what we are trying to get.

Photo of Mr Emrys Hughes Mr Emrys Hughes , South Ayrshire

As the Prime Minister told us last week that it is nuclear balance of power that keeps the peace, does he think that Russian possession of the atomic bomb has contributed to the maintenance of peace? Will he explain that to the Chinese when they say they want an independent nuclear deterrent to get them to the conference table?

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

There is no need to explain to the Chinese. The Chinese are in process of acquiring a nuclear weapon at some time—I do not know when. But we have now reached the point where there is, I think, a nuclear power that each side recognises could do unacceptable damage to the other. The sensible thing then is to get together at Geneva to try to strike a balance which is agreed.

Photo of Mr Eric Lubbock Mr Eric Lubbock , Orpington

Does the Prime Minister think that the possession of nuclear weapons by the Chinese will enable them to have a seat at the conference table, and what arguments would he use with the Chinese to persuade them not to develop nuclear weapons if that is the result of possessing them?

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

The hon. Gentleman, if he does not mind my saying so, should read the American and United Kingdom disarmament plans which make provision for a seat at the conference table for the Chinese.

Photo of Mr Michael Foot Mr Michael Foot , Ebbw Vale

Does the Prime Minister think that his continued insistence that nuclear weapons have kept the peace encourages people to believe that he is sincere in wanting to get rid of them?

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

Yes, Sir. I see no inconsistency between the two attitudes. I think that almost everybody recognises that it is the nuclear balance which has kept the peace. The question is whether we can achieve that balance at a. lower level.