Nuclear and Chemical Weapons (Hansard, 25 March 1993)

§ Mr. Cummings
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the possession of nuclear or chemical weapons by republics of the former Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Garel-Jones
We understand that all tactical nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union have now been withdrawn to Russia. A number of strategic nuclear weapons remain on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. All are due for elimination under the terms of the START I treaty and its associated instruments. Completion of this process—which remains subject to Ukraine ratifying START I—would leave Russia as the only possessor of nuclear weapons amongst the republics of the former Soviet Union.
We were reassured that Russia, with the world's largest chemical weapons stockpile, was amongst the first to sign 652W the convention on the prohibition of the development, production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and of their destruction. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Ukraine have also signed the convention.

§ Mr. Cummings
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by Her Majesty's Government to prevent the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons in the middle east, Africa and Asia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The most important instrument of the non-proliferation regime is the nuclear non-proliferation treaty—NPT. As a co-depositary of the treaty, the United Kingdom is actively working to ensure that the 1995 NPT extension conference will endorse the indefinite extension of the treaty. The United Kingdom works with like-minded countries to ensure that International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and nuclear export controls are implemented as effectively as possible.
The United Kingdom plays a leading role in the 24 member Australia group which seeks to harmonise international controls on chemical weapons precursors, dual-use chemical and biological equipment and technology, biological agents and toxins. These controls are reviewed and updated as required at the biannual meetings of the group. The early entry into force of the chemical weapons convention, which can be no earlier than January 1995, will provide the most effective mechanism for preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons. Some 140 states are already signatories of the convention. The United Kingdom will play an active part in the establishment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which will oversee the implementation of the convention.

§ Mr. Cummings
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment of which middle eastern, African and Asian countries currently possess, or are near to obtaining, nuclear or chemical weapons; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
There are three states in these regions—Israel, Pakistan and India—not party to the non-proliferation treaty—NPT—which have significant unsafeguarded nuclear activities, though none has declared itself to have or to be seeking nuclear weapons. North Korea, which is not recognised by Her Majesty' Government, has recently announced its intention to withdraw from the NPT. It has significant nuclear facilities and has failed to co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency implementing its safeguards agreement. There are also a number of countries in these regions which have, or are believed to be seeking to acquire, an offensive chemical weapons capability.