§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his Department's assessment of whether a comprehensive test ban treaty that prohibits nuclear tests below 1 kiloton would be verifiable; [35424]
(2) what is his Department's assessment of the minimum yield of a nuclear test that could be adequately verified under a comprehensive test ban treaty. [35430]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe ad hoc committee on a nuclear test ban of the conference of disarmament is examining a narrow range of options for an international monitoring system which would be capable of providing assurance to the states parties to a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty that any explosion of 1 kiloton or more would be detected, identified and located. There is general agreement that it would be impractical to undertake global monitoring below this level.
1178W
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's current definition of what constitutes a nuclear weapon test. [35422]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThis term has hitherto been applied to nuclear weapon tests of the sort that the UK has previously carried out at the Nevada underground test site.