To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to maintain staff numbers at the multilateral arms control and disarmament office of the UK permanent mission to the conference on disarmament in Geneva during the period of the UK presidency of the conference on disarmament, and in the lead-up to the 2010 review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; and if he will make a statement. (188357)

The number of staff at the multilateral arms control and disarmament office of the UK permanent mission to the conference on disarmament in Geneva will be increased by one official this summer. The staffing requirements will be kept under regular review during the period of the UK presidency of the conference on disarmament and in the lead-up to the 2010 review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what responses he has received to his speech to the conference on disarmament in Geneva on 5 February setting out United Kingdom disarmament commitments. (189565)

I have been asked to reply.

My speech to the conference on disarmament re-emphasised the UK commitment to furthering the multilateral nuclear disarmament agenda, in line with our NPT Article VI obligations. It has been widely welcomed.