§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what specific actions have been taken by the United Kingdom in pursuit of its obligations under article VI of the non-proliferation treaty.
(2) what action Her Majesty's Government have taken since 1980 to reduce their stocks of nuclear weapons in accordance with the provisions of the non-proliferation treaty.
§ Mr. StanleyThere is no obligation placed on nuclear weapon states in the non-proliferation treaty to reduce their stocks of nuclear weapons unilaterally. Article VI of the treaty commits all parties to negotiations in good faith on measures to halt the nuclear arms race and relating to nuclear disarmament. The first priority must be for reductions in the arsenals of the US and USSR, which hold302W the vast majority of such weapons. The UK has strongly supported US efforts to achieve agreements aimed at doing this and fully shares the objectives of working out effective agreements aimed at preventing an arms race in space and terminating it on earth, at limiting and reducing nuclear arms and at strengthening strategic stability.