Complaint
A viewer queried a statement by an interviewee to the effect that the UK always had a Vanguard submarine deployed and ready to fire a nuclear weapon at 15 minutes鈥 notice.聽 While the system was capable of firing at between 15 and 30 minutes鈥 notice, this did not reflect its current state of readiness.
Outcome
The ECU accepted that, under current arrangements, several days鈥 notice of firing would be required, but noted that a Commons Research Briefing Paper of May 2023 said 鈥渢he system鈥ould still be brought rapidly to readiness at a time of crisis if a political decision were taken to do so鈥.聽 In the light of this, and taking account of its context in the programme, the ECU did not consider the interviewee鈥檚 statement likely to have misled viewers materially.
Not upheld