Category Archives: nuclear disarmament

Parliamentary questions and debates on Nuclear Weapons

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Debates and questions have been ongoing throughout this week with regard to issues relating to Nuclear weapons policy, Trident costs, and value for money review programmes.

A debate in the House of Commons between Cathy Jamieson MP, Alistair Burt MP, and Julian Lewis MP focused on Britain’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and in particular the recent Anglo-French defence agreement impinging on the treaty’s article VI. You can read the debate in full here.

Angus Robertson MP has written the Secretary of Defence to ask if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending the life of the current fleet of Vanguard submarines to 2028. Read Secretary Fox’s answer here.

Bernard Jenkin MP has written to the Ministry of Defence to enquire as to what account the Department took of (a) defence inflation, (b) unforeseen design risks and (c) changes in specification between 2010 and 2016 in identifying cost savings in the Trident value for money review. Read Dr Fox’s response here.

A further Debate took place in the Commons between Julian Huppert MP, Dr Liam Fox MP, Paul Flynn MP, Julian Lewis MP, and John Woodcock MP. Read the full text of a lively discussion here.

Questions submitted on Nuclear Weapons

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November has seen a number of Parliamentarians debating and submitting questions regarding Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent system and larger multilateral disarmament issues.

Paul Flynn MP has asked the Foreign Secreatry whether, given the outlines set out by the Strategic Defence and Security Review, a framework for multilateral nuclear disarmament can be put in place. You can read the response here

In the House of Lords, Lord Peston and Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay have debated the possiblilty of Trident renewal and suggested it to be a waste of money. You can read their debate in full here.

Caroline Lucas MP has submitted a question to the Foreign Secretary regarding the British Government’s position on the upcoming meeting of the UN Disarmament Committee and with particular regard to (a) the Nuclear Weapons Convention (draft resolution L.50) and (b) d-alerting (draft resolution L42). You can read the Minster’s response here.

Julian Huppert MP has submitted a question to Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox, concerning the costs of renewing Trident in each of the first five years of its operation. To see Dr Fox’s reponse click here. Mr Huppert submitted a further question to the Secretary regarding his most recent estimate is of the projected (a) discounted and (b) undiscounted nuclear decommissioning costs for Trident replacement. The minister’s response can be found here.