§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to raise nuclear non-proliferation with his Chinese counterpart.
§ The Prime MinisterAs a depository state of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, it is our policy to take every opportunity both to raise the importance of nuclear non-proliferation with all non-parties to the NPT and to lobby them to accede to the NPT as soon as possible.
§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's current assessment of the capability of(a) Israel and (b) Pakistan to make a nuclear weapon.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have no firm evidence either to confirm or to deny rumours that Israel may have a nuclear weapons programme. As regards Pakistan, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave him on 27 February at column497.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Prime Minister what recent ministerial meetings have taken place with other depository powers of the non-proliferation treaty; what matters relating to the treaty were discussed; and what future meetings he proposes to hold in 1991.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government attach great importance to nuclear non-proliferation and the subject is frequently raised during bilateral ministerial meetings with the United States and the Soviet Union. However, no recent ministerial meetings specifically to discuss the NPT have taken place nor are any currently planned.
Regular trilateral and bilateral meetings of the depository powers of the NPT take place at official level, most recently in June.