HL Deb 13 February 1992 vol 535 cc36-7WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will ensure that their nonproliferation policy pays full attention to the factors which require other countries to develop nuclear weapons when they are the same factors as those which now require the United Kingdom to increase their own (despite Article 6 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty) and whether they will seek to mitigate those factors in other countries as the United States has successfully done in Korea.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)

The increased capability which Trident will give is entirely consistent with our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The treaty reflects the international consensus that nuclear weapons should be confined to those countries who exploded a nuclear device before 1st January 1967. It remains our policy to work for secure defence at the lowest level of armaments.