§ Lord Monkswellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether following the damage to the environment and the risk to human life resulting from recent accidents at nuclear installations, they have instructed the armed forces to review and if necessary amend their operational plans which in the event of war might affect nuclear installations of hostile powers, so as to ensure that actions resulting from such plans do not result in the release of radioactivity into the environment; and if not, when will such instructions be issued; and
Whether they will ensure that the operational plans of NATO which might affect nuclear installations of hostile powers are reviewed and amended so as to ensure that actions resulting from such plans do not result in the release of radioactivity into the environment.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)Existing laws of war already impose restrictions on attacks on installations which would pose a particular threat to civilian populations and require a balance to be struck between the military advantage and the danger of collateral damage to the civilian population. The UK is taking part in negotiations at the Geneva Conference on Disarmament on a possible treaty banning radiological weapons. These negotiations are considering whether such a treaty might also include a prohibition of attack on peaceful nuclear facilities. However, we need to take account of the fact that, in the context of NATO's deterrent strategy, it would not be compatible with our security or that of our NATO allies to exclude from possible attack any facility supporting an attack upon us in time of war.