§ Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the most recent United Kingdom owned and controlled nuclear weapons withdrawn from deployment, and dismantled, as a result of negotiations, pursuant to article VI of the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe United Kingdom's nuclear defence requirements are reviewed on a regular basis and kept at the minimum necessary to ensure effective deterrence. Those weapons no longer required are taken out of service and dismantled. The Defence Secretary announced in October last year that we would be making substatial reductions in the United Kingdom's sub-strategic nuclear capability, including a reduction of about 50 per cent. in the number of our free-fall bombs.