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Proliferation in ParliamentBack to Proliferation in Parliament, December 2007 - February 2008 Westminster ParliamentKey to Column Numbering
The NPT and Non-Proliferation
Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 28 Feb 2008, Column 1823WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the failure of the 2005 Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to agree a final document. David Miliband [holding answer 28 February 2008]: The UK worked
hard to achieve an agreed final document at the 2005 Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. In a multilateral forum, reliant on consensus,
extended procedural delays can prejudice a substantive outcome even when
the majority of states present are committed to achieving real advances.
Regrettably, in 2005 a delay often days to agree the Review Conference
agenda meant there was not enough time to negotiate a substantive final
document. UK policy and priorities for the 2010 NPT review cycle are set
out in the reply I gave to the right hon. Member on 18 February 2008,
Official Report, column 176W. Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 28 Feb 2008, Column 1819WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 177W, on nuclear weapons, which countries were unable to agree in 2007 to the start of negotiations on a fissile material cut off treaty. David Miliband [holding answer 28 February 2008]: No member state at the Conference on Disarmament has objected in principle to a fissile material cut off treaty. During the 2007 Conference on Disarmament, a majority of states endorsed commencement of negotiations. China, Iran and Pakistan expressed 28 Feb 2008 : Column 1820W reservations. The UK continues to support the proposal and is working
hard to secure consensus for its adoption in 2008. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 27 Feb 2008, Column 1706WDr. Gibson: 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. Dr. Howells: 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. Mr. Dai Davies: 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. Des Browne: 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. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 21 February 2008Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008, Official Report, column 1354W, on nuclear disarmament, what the specific parameters are of the independent International Institute of Strategic Studies in-depth study to help determine the requirements for the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons. Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded a workshop
in November 2007 on the technical challenges of complete nuclear disarmament.
The study itself, however, is independent and the scope and parameters
are therefore for the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS)
to decide. The hon. Member may wish to refer to the IISS for any further
information. Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, Written Answers, 18 Feb 2008, Column 176WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK objectives are for the second meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. David Miliband: The UK will use the Non-Proliferation Treaty 2008 Preparatory Committee to take forward work to strengthen the treaty. We will promote consensus around key measures encompassing the treaty's three pillars—zero tolerance of proliferation; safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology; and a reinvigorated commitment to a world free from nuclear weapons. Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking in preparation for the 2010 Non Proliferation Review Conference on the adoption of measures governing withdrawal from the Non Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement. David Miliband: The United Kingdom is working with partners to build consensus around measures to raise the cost of withdrawal from the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) at the 2010 review conference. These measures include automatic referral of the case of any state party 18 Feb 2008 : Column 177W seeking to withdraw from the NPT to the UN Security Council, a requirement that all material, equipment, technology and facilities acquired under NPT membership be restricted to peaceful uses and remain subject to safeguards; and that use of facilities, equipment and material supplied prior to withdrawal by third countries be frozen with a view to dismantlement and return. They are set out in full in the EU Working Paper (NPT/CONF.2010/PC.I/WP.25* available at http://www.un.org/NPT2010/documents.html) submitted at the 2007 Preparatory Committee. Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Ministers and (b) officials will represent the United Kingdom at the Seven Country Initiative seminar on the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty in Norway, on 26 to 27 February; and if he will post on his Department's website the United Kingdom's contribution to the seminar. Dr. Howells: The UK will take part in a seminar on nuclear disarmament
to be hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo on 26-27 February 2008,
represented by two officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
the Director of Defence and Strategic Threats and the Head of the Nuclear
Missile Defence Policy Team. The UK has not been invited to make a presentation
at the seminar. Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 18 Feb 2008 : Column 177WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made towards securing agreement of a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices; and if he will make a statement. David Miliband: The UK will continue to push for the start of negotiations without pre-conditions on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) and at the Conference on Disarmament (CD). My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence spoke to the conference on 5 February and highlighted the urgent need for the conference to redouble their efforts to move forward on an FMCT. As the holder of one of the six CD presidencies in 2008, we will work
with like- minded countries to bring on board those states unable to agree
to the start of negotiations in 2007. We will also continue to lobby these
states directly. Weapons: Proliferation, Written Answers, 18 February, Column 185WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress of EU member states in implementing effective export, transit, trans-shipment and re-export controls, including appropriate laws and regulations in relation to counter-proliferation, as called for in EU Council Common Position 2005/329/PESC of 25 April 2005. David Miliband: The EU Council Common Position 2005/329/PESC of 25 April
2005 relates to the 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The UK and other EU
member states take seriously the need to ensure rigorous implementation
of effective export, transit, transhipment and re-export controls in order
to strengthen the international non-proliferation system, including the
NPT. We regularly discuss with EU and other partners ways to enhance national
and international efforts to counter proliferation, including, inter alia,
by strengthening the NPT and export control regimes such as the Nuclear
Suppliers Group, in which all EU member states participate. Nuclear Weapons: Decommissioning, Written Answers, 18 February 2008, Column 109WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department has provided to the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston for research on the verification of the dismantlement of nuclear warheads since 1997; and what provision has been made for such research in the next three years. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The MOD’s Arms Control Verification Research (ACVR) programme commenced in April 2000, following the Strategic Defence Review. A small amount of work was undertaken prior to this to develop the forward programme but detailed costs are unable to be extracted from the overall ‘Nuclear Test Limitation’ programme which existed at the time. Costs incurred directly against the ACVR programme for the period 2000-01 to 2006-07, inclusive, were 18 Feb 2008 : Column 110W approximately £2 million. In addition to this, indirect support has been provided from other AWE programme areas. For financial year 2007-08 the ACVR budget is £420,000. The MOD is currently
reviewing the ACVR programme’s future resource allocation to ensure it
is commensurate with meeting policy objectives. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 18 February 2008, Column 109WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he gave to inviting (a) Israel, (b) India and (c) Pakistan when planning the technical conference involving the laboratories of nuclear weapons states in collaborative work on confidence building in nuclear disarmament, as announced in his speech to the conference on disarmament in Geneva on 5 February. Des Browne: The UK has offered to host a conference between the
nuclear laboratories of the five Nuclear Weapon States recognised under
the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (China, France, Russia,
the UK and the United States). The aim of the Conference will be to address
some of the difficult technical issues related to the verification of
nuclear disarmament as we work toward a world free from nuclear weapons.
It will examine ways of furthering the disarmament goals of Article VI
of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which Israel, India and Pakistan
are not states parties. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Written Answers, 5 Feb 2008, Column 969WAndrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what objectives he has set for the UK's participation in the Norwegian initiative on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Dr. Howells: The United Kingdom is using its participation in
the Norwegian "Seven Country Initiative", in parallel with a wide range
of other bilateral and multilateral activity, to build international consensus
for strengthening the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The United Kingdom will take part in a Seminar on Nuclear Disarmament
to be hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo on 26-27 February 2008. Treaties: Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 4 Feb 2008, Column 769WAndrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives the Government plans to undertake to ensure the commencement of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Dr. Howells: The UK considers a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty
to be a top priority for multilateral disarmament and we will continue
to push for the start of negotiations without pre-conditions at the Conference
on Disarmament (CD). As the holder of one of the six CD presidencies in
2008 we will work with like minded countries to bring on board those states
unable to agree to the start of negotiations in 2007. We will also continue
to lobby these states directly. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 22 January 2008, Column 1854WAndrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps the Government plan to take to secure nuclear disarmament in accordance with their commitments under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Dr. Howells: The UK has now met the commitment outlined in the 2006 White Paper on the future of the UK nuclear deterrent to reduce the number of operationally available warheads to fewer than 160. The explosive power of our nuclear arsenal has been reduced by 75 per cent. since the end of the cold war. My right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) announced in her June 2007 speech to the Carnegie Endowment that the UK would act as a “disarmament laboratory” for the thinking and practical work required to move forward global nuclear disarmament. We are supporting an independent International Institute of Strategic Studies in-depth study to help determine the requirements for the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons. We have also tasked the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston with some detailed work on key stages in the verification of the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons. The UK continues to press for the immediate commencement of negotiations
on a fissile material cut-off treaty, the next logical step for multilateral
nuclear disarmament, at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Indian Subcontinent: Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 5 Dec 2007, Column 1300WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what forum he expects to discuss a framework for nuclear disarmament with (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Israel; and if he will make a statement. Meg Munn: The United Kingdom discusses nuclear disarmament with
India, Pakistan and Israel in various fora, including the Conference for
Disarmament in Geneva and at the UN. We also attach great importance to
the universalisation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and continue
to call on all three states to join the treaty as non-nuclear weapon states. Russia: Nuclear Forces Treaty, Written Answers, 4 Dec 2007, Column 1137WMr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy to seek the widening of the intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty to include countries other than the US and Russia; and if he will make a statement. David Miliband: The Government welcome the US and Russian statements
on their confirmed commitment to the intermediate-range nuclear forces
treaty. We also note with interest the proposal that the regime be widened,
and look forward to more detailed proposals from Russia. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 4 Dec 2007, Column 1135WAdam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the Government voted against the resolution on decreasing the operational readiness of nuclear weapons in the United Nations First Committee on Disarmament. Dr. Howells: The United Kingdom provided an 'Explanation of Vote'
(EoV) in a statement to the United Nations First Committee. This noted
that we do not subscribe to the basic premise of the resolution that the
world is at risk due to large numbers of nuclear weapons at dangerously
high levels of alert. A copy of the EoV will be placed in the Library
of the House. Nuclear Responsibilities, Written Answers, 3 Dec 2007 : Column 842WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2007, Official Report, column 1033W, on nuclear responsibilities, what assessment he has made of the contribution the nuclear non-proliferation treaty has made towards nuclear disarmament. Des Browne: The nuclear non-proliferation treaty makes an invaluable and irreplaceable contribution to multilateral nuclear disarmament and is the cornerstone of UK policy in this area. All actions that the UK undertakes on nuclear disarmament are concomitant to our legal obligations under Article VI of that treaty, which are equally applicable to the other recognised nuclear weapons states. The White Paper on The Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994), 3 Dec 2007 : Column 843W published in December 2006, set out the UK's record on nuclear disarmament and announced the reduction of operationally available warheads to fewer than 160, which has now been achieved. The NPT has now achieved near universality and includes states which
renounced their nuclear weapons programmes when they joined the NPT as
non-nuclear weapons states. We continue to call upon those remaining states
outside the NPT to accede as non-nuclear weapons states. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Written Answers, 26 Nov 2007, Column 223WMr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations have been made for the Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference talks in 2010, what role he expects the European Union will play in these talks; and if he will make a statement. David Miliband: The United Kingdom strongly supports the European
Union's Common Position of strengthening the three key pillars-non-proliferation,
disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear technology-of the nuclear non-proliferation
treaty (NPT). EU member states played an important role in the positive
outcome to this year's NPT Preparatory Committee. We will continue to
work closely with European Union partners to achieve success in the new
non-proliferation treaty (NPT) review cycle. Back to Proliferation in Parliament, December 2007 - February 2008 © 2008 The Acronym Institute. |