The United Kingdom's development, acquisition and deployment of nuclear weapons has been a subject of great controversy for almost half a century. Dr John Poole, until recently head of the Scientific Affairs and Defence Section of the House of Commons Library, has collected extracts from the most significant documents of the period relation to Britain's nuclear policy. Parliamentary proceedings, official and independent publications and speeches are arranged chronologically within a thematic structure to provide a rich source of primary material illustrating the significant debates, decisions and protests of the British nuclear age