Macmillan Defends Polaris Deal

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30045, 1 February 1963, Page 9

Macmillan Defends Polaris Deal

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, January 30.

Britain is to allocate part of her bomber forces to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defence scheme, the Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) said tonight.

He was opening a two-day defence debate in the House of Commons, in which he defended the recent BritishAmerican deal on Polaris missiles. Mr Macmillan said it would take three or four years for Britain’s Polaris force to come into being as part of general Western defence. He had therefore proposed to President Kennedy that Britain might make a start by relocating some of her bomber forces. This would demonstrate Britain was not following “a narrow nationalism,” but was prepared to work with the alliance. President Kennedy, accepting the idea, had said that the Americans would cooperate. Mr Macmillan said the Nassau agreement on Polaris would not have been made unless he and his Cabinet colleagues had been satisfied it safeguarded Britain’s independence. “These Polaris missiles will be British property from the time we buy them,” Mr Macmillan said. Arrangements would be similar to those proposed for tihe now defunct Skybolt stand-off bomb. “The warheads and the submarines themselves will be built in Britain and will therefore be completely our own,” he said. "The submarines when completed and equipped will be manned by British officers and men.” It was hoped the keels of the British submarines would be laid in 1964. Britain would plan to have four or five. The first of these, if all went well, should enter service in 1968, Like the American sub-

marines they would carry 16 missiles. Mr Macmillan said he was “not ashamed” of the Polaris agreement.

The acting Leader of the Opposition, Mr George Brown, attacking Britain’s defence policy, said the country was neither geared to an independent national defence effort nor able to fulfil effectively alliance commitments. The Liberal leader. Mr Jo Grimond, said the Government should be called to account for the "waste and muddle” in defence policy.