To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will respond to the recent report, Stepping down the nuclear ladder, by Nick Ritchie of the University of Bradford Department of Peace Studies, in respect of alternatives to the renewal of the United Kingdom's nuclear arsenal. [HL4543]

Dr Ritchie sent the First Sea Lord a copy of his paper. The First Sea Lord acknowledged the paper and took the opportunity to reiterate that the Government's policy as set out by the 2006 defence White Paper (Cm 6994) remains extant.

There are no plans to issue a more substantive reply to Dr Ritchie's paper.