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Global Security (Non-Proliferation)

The right hon. Gentleman raises a point that is difficult to argue with. It all depends on one's definition of "sub-strategic role", but I do not think that we could disagree on how he defined it in his contribution. The difficulty is in the definition. However, I agree with what the right hon. Gentleman said about the potential role of Trident. That takes me on to Trident itself. It will be useful quickly to update the House on the initial gate process; I think that all Members will be interested in that. The House will be aware that we had originally planned to consider the concept phase of the future deterrent submarine programme in the autumn of 2009. However, further time was necessary to ensure that decisions on submarine propulsion and design options were based on robust information. New technical options are being considered, and a few more months are needed to evaluate them fully before taking a decision. In the 2006 White Paper, we announced our intention to introduce a new class of submarine from the mid-2020s. That timetable is still on track, despite the delays. However, it does not mean that we have taken an irreversible decision that commits us irrevocably to possess nuclear weapons for the next 40 to 50 years. It is important to make that point. I turn to a point made by the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey). He hints that he does not agree with our position, but I am still unclear about his party's position. On some occasions, the Lib Dems say, "We are conducting a fundamental review and will inform the public when we have reached a conclusion about our policy." On other days, the party's Front-Bench spokespersons say, "We have decided not to replace like with like." The position is unclear. Are the Lib Dems conducting a fundamental review, with all options remaining open, or have they made a definitive decision that they will not replace like with like?