Skip to main content

Nuclear Submarines

Volume 957: debated on Thursday 9 November 1978

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if all British nuclear submarines are equipped with Government-linked fail-safe firing mechanisms designed to prevent submarine commanders firing nuclear weapons on their own initiative.

The Government are satisfied that the existing stringent measures ensure that all British nuclear weapons, including the Polaris missiles, are under the closest political control and cannot be used without their authority.