To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for the development of new nuclear weapons at Aldermaston. (313385)

As the 2006 White Paper ‘The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent’ (Cm 6994) makes clear, the current warhead design is likely to last into the 2020s. Decisions on how and whether we may need to refurbish or replace this warhead are likely to be necessary in the next Parliament.