§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has in regard to(a) a fissile material production freeze, (b) the strengthening of safeguards on plutonium and enriched uranium, (c) the reduction of the number of United Kingdom nuclear warheads deployed and in store, (d) the banning of the stockpiling of surplus plutonium and (e) the completion of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty for presentation on behalf of Her Majesty's Government at the review and extensions conference for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to be held in New York from 17 April.
§ Mr. David DavisThe UK supported the UN General Assembly resolution in 1993 calling for the negotiation of a convention to ban the production of fissile material for explosive purposes. Since then we have supported efforts in the conference on disarmament in Geneva to set up an ad hoc committee to begin negotiation of such a convention. On 23 March the CD agreed the mandate for the ad hoc committee. We hope negotiations will begin soon.
The UK has full confidence in the effectiveness of the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards system and its ability to detect diversion of nuclear material from the purposes declared for it. Events in Iraq in recent years have already lead to a number of initiatives, which the UK has supported, to strengthen IAEA systems in regard to undeclared nuclear activities.