§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are planning towards the achievement of a legally binding document that would contain both negative and positive security assurances, and whether in the light of developments in the Middle East these assurances will include assurances that Israel will not use nuclear weapons against its neighbours.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)On 6 April 1995, at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, we agreed with the other P4 members (USA, Russia, France) Positive and Negative Security Assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). These assurances imply responsibilities which we take very seriously. They were welcomed by the UN Security Council in its Resolution 984.
The NPT Review and Extension Conference agreed to adopt a set of Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. This states inter alia that "further steps should be considered to assure non-nuclear-weapon States party to the Treaty against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. These steps could take the form of an internationally legally binding instrument".
We have been concerned for some time about reports that Israel may have a nuclear weapons programme. We continue to urge Israel to allay international suspicions and accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon State.