Trident: Test Firing Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Trident: Test Firing

Anne-Marie Trevelyan Excerpts
Monday 23rd January 2017

(7 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Fallon Portrait Sir Michael Fallon
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As I have said, we do not in this House—and nor did any previous Government—give operational details of the demonstration and shakedown operation of one of our submarines conducting a test with one of our Trident missiles.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan Portrait Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Berwick-upon-Tweed) (Con)
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Does the Secretary of State agree that the most important conclusion from this particular missile test is that our excellent submariners on HMS Vengeance proved that they can deal with unexpected technical challenges with a ballistic missile system known to be the most reliable in the world, and that that should be of enormous reassurance to the British people?

Michael Fallon Portrait Sir Michael Fallon
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I congratulate the crew on completing their test and returning, as I have said, to the operational cycle of the submarines that discharge this duty on our behalf, but I say again that I am not going into operational details.