Atomic Co-ordinating Office, Washington

HC Deb 12 December 1991 vol 200 c542W

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the role and function of the atomic co-ordinating office, Washington; how many personnel are assigned to it; what is its annual budget; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The role and function of the atomic co-ordinating office, Washington, is to ensure UK/US compliance with arrangements laid down in the 1958 "Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America for Co-operation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence Purposes", the terms of which are laid out in Cmnd 537. Six personnel are presently assigned to this office. It is not our practice to disclose the annual budgets of individual units.