Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (Hansard, 19 June 1989)

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has ascertained from the Government of the People's Republic of China the terms on which they would be prepared to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
Although we have regularly pressed the Government of the People's Republic of China to accede to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, they have not given us any indication of the terms on which they would be prepared to do so.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is aware of the conditions set by Argentina before that state will sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
To the best of our knowledge the Government of Argentina has not specified conditions under which Argentina would accede to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the last eight countries to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty giving the date of signature in each case.
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§ Mr. Waldegrave
The last eight countries to accede to the non-proliferation treaty were Kiribati (succeeded on 18 April 1985), Malawi (acceded on 18 February 1986), Colombia (ratified on 8 April 1986), Trinidad and Tobago (ratified on 30 October 1986), Spain (acceded on 5 November 1987), Saudi Arabia (acceded on 3 October 1988), Bahrain (acceded on 3 November 1988) and Qatar (acceded on 3 April 1989).

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will set out the respective dates on which(a) Libya, (b) Iraq, (c) Iran, (d) Syria and (e) Egypt signed the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
Libya ratified the nuclear nonproliferation treaty on 26 May 1975, Iraq ratified the treaty on 29 October 1969, Iran ratified on 2 February 1970, Syria on 24 September 1969 and Egypt on 26 February 1981.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the terms of signature communicated to Her Majesty's Government, or to the other depository states for the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, by the Republic of South Africa, before South Africa will sign the non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The South African Government have not set out terms to us, or, so far as we are aware, to either of the other depository Governments. On 16 August 1988, after consultations between the depository powers and South Africa had been held in Vienna, the South African Foreign Ministry stated publicly that it would sign the NPT if assured of full participation in the treaty.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government of India have indicated to the United Kingdom, or to the other two depository states for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the terms on which India would sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; and what attempts have been made by Her Majesty's Government to persuade India to sign the treaty.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
To the best of our knowledge the Government of India have not indicated terms on which India would accede to the non-proliferation treaty (NPT). However, our views on the value of the NPT are well known to the Indian Government, and we make our position clear to them whenever suitable opportunities arise.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, during the meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Ministers in Brussels on 29 and 30 May, and the visit of the United State Administration executive officers to the United Kingdom on 31 May to 2 June, he raised with the United States Secretaries of Defence or State the fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to be held in the summer of 1990.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
No. However, issues related to the 1990 non-proliferation treaty review conference are frequently discussed at official level.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, during the visit of General 33W Jaruzelski of Poland on 10 and 11 June, he discussed the forthcoming nuclear non-proliferation treaty fourth review conference, to be held in 1990, with members of the Polish governmental delegation.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
No.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the depository states for the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty last held trilateral discussions on progress of the treaty.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The non-proliferation treaty depository powers—USA, USSR, United Kingdom—last discussed the non-proliferation treaty at the first preparatory committee, held in New York from 1 to 5 May.