Nuclear Weapons

Norman Baker
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the agreement with the US under which the UK acquires nuclear submarine-related technologies required by way of reciprocation the UK to support the US in armed conflicts under certain circumstances.

Mr. Hoon
No.

Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals her Department will present at the May 2007 Preparatory Committee meeting of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Howells
The Government are strongly committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which is the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The UK is determined to make every effort to ensure that this review cycle results in a positive and substantive final document. We look forward to working with states parties, including allies and EU partners, before and during the May 2007 NPT Preparatory Committee where the groundwork for this can be laid. The UK statement to the Preparatory Committee will be placed in the Library of the House once it has been made.

Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she will attend the forthcoming preparatory committee meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in Geneva in May; which (a) other ministers and (b) officials will attend; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Howells
The UK delegation to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee in Vienna in May will be headed by Ambassador John Duncan, the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He will be accompanied by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry. No decision has yet been made on Ministerial attendance. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him today (UIN 115555).

Jeremy Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) foreign policy and (b) diplomatic considerations support the Government's decision to commence the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system in 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Howells
The foreign policy and diplomatic considerations relevant to the decision to maintain our deterrent are detailed in the December 2006 White Paper “The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Weapons”. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library of the House.

Jeremy Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals her Department will present to the May 2007 Preparatory Committee meeting of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to reduce the arsenals of the declared nuclear weapons states.

Dr. Howells
The Government are strongly committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which is the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The UK is determined to make every effort to ensure that this review cycle results in a positive and substantive final document. We will work with allies and EU partners at the May 2007 NPT Preparatory Committee to lay the groundwork for this. We have already made a contribution by announcing, in the White Paper on the Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent, a further 20 per cent. cut in our warhead stockpile.

Jeremy Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice she has received from her officials supporting the view that it is necessary to make a decision on Trident replacement in 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Howells
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence jointly produced the White Paper on the Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent. FCO officials were closely involved in all the preparatory analysis, including the realistic life of the Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines and the time required to develop replacements. The outcome of these discussions was that if we were to maintain unbroken deterrent capability, decisions needed to be taken now on whether to replace those submarines.