Nuclear Weapons (Hansard, 21 March 1989)

§ The Prime Minister

The United Kingdom fulfils her obligations as a party to the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Article VI of the treaty requires the parties to it to pursue negotiations on effective measures connected with nuclear disarmament. Since the United States and the Soviet Union possess between them the overwhelming preponderance of nuclear weapons it is universally recognised that the primary responsibility for negotiations falls to them. The United States and Soviet Union are currently engaged in such negotiations which aim at 50 per cent. reductions in their strategic nuclear weapons.