Written question asked by Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party) on Friday, 4 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 March 2005. It was answered by Geoffrey Hoon (Labour) on Thursday, 10 March 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has assessed the merits of mounting nuclear warheads on cruise missiles as part of the UK's current or future nuclear deterrent.

Answer: Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has assessed the merits of mounting nuclear warheads on cruise missiles as part of the UK's current or future nuclear deterrent. [221036] Mr. Hoon: For details of an assessment made in 1980, I refer the hon. Member to Defence Open Government Document 80/23, published by the then Defence Secretary in July 1980, particularly paragraphs 35-43. Subsequently, as noted by the then Defence Secretary on 18 October 1993, Official Report, column 34, an air-to- surface missile was considered as a possible delivery system to replace the RAF's freefall nuclear bomb. No assessment of the possibility of cruise missiles forming a part of the United Kingdom's current nuclear deterrent capability has been made under the present Administration. Paragraph 3.11 of the 2003 Defence White Paper made clear that we would keep open the range of options for maintaining a nuclear deterrent capability in future until decisions are required.

Secondary information