Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what implications the clandestine Iraqi nuclear weapon programme has had for his Departments's policy on United Kingdom negative security guarantees regarding the use or threatened use of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons.

Mr. Douglas Hogg
The negative security assurance given by the United Kingdom in 1978 remain unchanged.

Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on establishing a common policy among all the nuclear weapon states regarding negative security guarantees.

Mr. Douglas Hogg
All five nuclear weapon states have already given negative security assurances, although they are not identical. We consider the United Kingdom's guarantee to be sufficient as it stands.

Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on  extending the United Kingdom's negative security guarantees on nuclear weapons into a legally binding convention.

Mr. Douglas Hogg
It is the Government's view that our negative security assurance offers sufficient guarantee, in its present form, to those non-nuclear-weapon states which it is designed to protect.