Nuclear Non-proliferation (Hansard, 28 February 1990)

Dr. Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to meet representatives of the Government of Namibia after 21 March to ascertain if Namibia will sign and ratify the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Maude
It is our policy to take every suitable opportunity to raise non-proliferation issues, and the non-proliferation treaty in particular, with states that are not parties to the treaty.

Dr. Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the meeting of the208W European Foreign Affairs Council in Dublin on 20 February, the matter of encouragement to South Africa to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty was discussed.

§ Mr. Maude
No.

Dr. Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the report, "New Concepts In Nuclear Arms Control: Verified Cutoff And Verified Disposal", by Warren H. Donnelly and Lawrence Scheinman, published in February by the Programme For Promoting Nuclear Non-Proliferation.

§ Mr. Maude
A copy of the report "New Concepts in Nuclear Arms Control: Verified Cut off and Verified Disposal" by Warren H. Donnelly and Lawrence Scheinman, published by the Programme for Promoting Nuclear Non-Proliferation, will be added to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office library in due course.

§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the working group on nuclear non-proliferation of the European Political Co-operation Committee met in each year since 1985; which matters were discussed in each meeting; and how Her Majesty's Government were represented.

§ Mr. Maude
The working group on non-proliferation in European political co-operation has met four times in each year since 1985 to discuss matters relevant to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. We are represented by appropriate officials.

§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas), 15 December 1989,Official Report, column 839, what was the outcome of the meeting proposed with the European proliferation information centre, to which he makes reference.

§ Mr. Maude
A meeting with the European proliferation information centre has not taken place, but exchanges of correspondence with the centre about funding continue.

§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations have received from his Department a grant in aid in 1989–90 to assist in the fostering of greater public understanding of nuclear non-proliferation issues and the role of the fourth review conference of the nonproliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Maude
No organisation has received a grant in aid in the period 1989–90 for the purpose described in the question. Some funding has been made available to the programme for promoting nuclear non-proliferation (PPNN) for specific purposes.