§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) of 19 May,Official Report, column 232, what was the cost of sending his departmental officials to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty preparatory committee meeting in New York; what proposals or papers were submitted by the United Kingdom to the meeting; and when and where the next NPT preparatory committee will be held.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAlthough the NPT preparatory committee meeting was concerned principally with organisational issues, the United Kingdom delegation reaffirmed our aim of securing the NPT's unconditional, indefinite extension in 1995 and our commitment to supporting continuing progress towards nuclear disarmament. The travel and subsistence cost of sending Ministry 679W of Defence officials to this meeting was some £4,000. The next NPT preparatory committee meeting will be held in New York from 17 to 21 January 1994