§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have studied the report in US News and World Report that as many as three nuclear warheads may have been stolen from Kazakhstan and sold to Iran; what is their estimate of the destabilising and strategic significance of this; what response they are making; and what action they are taking to help prevent further such incidents.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe are aware of such reports, but do not believe any proliferation of nuclear weapons has taken place from Kazakhstan. We strongly support the recent agreement on the implementation of the START Treaty which provides for the removal of all nuclear weapons from Kazakhstan and its accession as soon as possible to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear weapons state.