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Mr. Leigh
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the Soviet space weapon research programme is having on British and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defence planning.
Mr. Butler
The extensive and long-standing Soviet space weapon research programme is a cause of continuing concern to both Her Majesty's Government and to the NATO Alliance as a whole. Soviet ABM capabilities are taken into account in decisions affecting the maintenance of the British strategic deterrent force. One of the important justifications for the United States' strategic defence initiative programme is the extent of Soviet research activity in this field.