asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the Government have decided to improve the warhead of the Royal Navy's Polaris missiles and not to convert the submarines to the more modern and effective Poseidon weapon with more numerous and independently targeted warheads in the same manner as the United States Navy has converted Polaris submarines.

The steps that the Government are taking to maintain the effectiveness of the Polaris force will ensure that it remains a valid deterrent for many years to come. The question of converting the submarines does not, therefore, arise.