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Trident

Volume 199: debated on Thursday 28 November 1991

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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the deployment of the United Kingdom's Trident nuclear missile with the same number of warheads as the present Polaris missiles.

Trident must be able to overcome defences that did not exist when Polaris entered service, and remain a credible deterrent well into the next century.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much money would be saved on the contract on the fourth Trident submarine if it were cancelled on (a) 22 January 1992, (b) 22 February 1992, (c) 22 March 1992, (d) 22 April 1992, (e) 22 May 1992 or (f) 22 june 1992;(2) how much money to date has been spent on the fourth Trident submarine; and how much will have been spent by

(a) 22 January 1992, (b) 22 February 1992, (c) 22 March 1992, (d) 22 April 1992, (e) 22 May 1992, (f) 22 June 1992.

Expenditure to date on the fourth submarine is approximately £142 million. Future levels of expenditure are subject to considerations of commercial confidentiality. The level of savings which would be achieved if the contract were to be cancelled on any of the dates specified by the hon. Member would not differ significantly from the broad estimate of £400 million given to the House by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 22 November 1991 at column 600.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce a contract for the production of a fourth Trident submarine.

The order will be announced when negotiations with the contractor have been successfully concluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total estimated cost of the fourth Trident submarine.

The cost of the fourth Vanguard class submarine will not be known until negotiations with the contractor have been successfully concluded. It would not be appropriate to publish an estimated cost while those negotiations are in progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision is being made in the testing programme for Trident nuclear weapons to ensure that accidental detonation cannot take place to weapons in transit, storage or deployment; and if he will make a statement.

The safety of our nuclear weapons is paramount. Both the Trident missile and its warhead will undergo a comprehensive series of trials, assessments and formal safety approval procedures before entering service with the Royal Navy.