Beyond Trident

Trident Replacement in Parliament

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This page has information and links to developments in the British Parliament concerning Trident replacement.

• House of Commons Defence Committee
• House of Commons Library Publications
• Proceedings in the House of Commons
• Proceedings in the House of Lords

Further information on Parliament can be found at the UK's official parliamentary website at: http://www.parliament.uk

House of Commons Defence Committee

In January 2006, the Defence Committee announced a series of inquiries on The Future of the Strategic Nuclear Deterrent: the Strategic Context. The first inquiry is focussing on "the strategic context and the timetable for decision making". The Ministry of Defence submitted a Memorandum in three parts to the Committee:

• Annex A Possible Constraints on future UK decision-making on any replacement for Trident
• Annex B The Expected Life of the Trident System
• Annex C Investment at the Atomic Weapons Establishment

The Committee took oral and written evidence at three public sessions. Dr Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director of the Acronym Institute gave evidence at the first session. The Ministry of Defence declined the Committee's invitation to participate.

• Public Evidence Session with Dr Rebecca Johnson, Michael Codner, Dr Kate Hudson, Dan Plesch, Sir Michael Quinlan and Dr Lee Willett, March 14, 2006
• Public Evidence Session with David Broucher, Professor Colin Gray, Professor Shaun Gregory, and Professor John Simpson, March 21, 2006
• Public Evidence Session with Peter Whitehouse, Commodore Tim Hare, Dr Andrew Dorman, Dr Dominick Jenkins, Malcolm Savidge and Dr Bruno Tertrais, March 28, 2006.

The Committee's report on The Future of the UK's Strategic Nuclear Deterrent, House of Commons Defence Committee (eighth report of Session 2005-06, HC 986), was published on June 30, 2006. Full text of the Conclusions and Recommendations is available at: http://www.acronym.org.uk/docs/0606/doc09.htm.

The Government's Response was published on July 26, 2006 (available at: http://www.acronym.org.uk/docs/0606/doc09.htm). In its response the Government insisted that the "UK Trident system is fully operationally independent of the US".

The next stage of the Committee's inquiry will focus on the maintenance of onshore infrastructure and the domestic UK skills base and the linkage between the Government's Defence Industrial Strategy and the decision on retention, replacement, or abolition of the UK's Trident system.

Previously, the Committee took evidence on the possible replacement of Trident during a General Evidence Session with the Secretary of State for Defence, John Reid in November 2005.

House of Commons Library

In July 2005, the House of Commons Library published a briefing on Trident and the future of the British Nuclear Deterrent. The briefing set out three options - service life extension, direct replacement and a new capability - but did not mention the option of non-replacement.

A second HoC Library briefing was published in April 2006, which draws on research from a wider range of organisations, including the Acronym Institute. Full text is available at: http://www.acronym.org.uk/docs/0604/hoc_lib.pdf.

House of Commons

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on that a decision would be taken "this year" and that the government would publish a White Paper setting out its decision-making on the future of British nuclear weapons. The Government continues to refuse to specify when a debate will take place and/or what format it will take, in particular whether MPs will be allowed to vote on the issue.

• Debates
• Oral Questions
• Written Questions

House of Lords

• Oral Questions

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© 2006 The Acronym Institute.