Non-proliferation Treaty (Hansard, 15 March 1995)

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what change has taken place in Her Majesty's Government's policy on the question of the negative security assurance given to non-nuclear weapons states that are parties to the 585W non-proliferation treaty, following the disbanding of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement on the extent of the exception clause contained in the United Kingdom's negative security assurance.

§ Mr. David Davis
The United Kingdom's negative security assurance is extended to non-nuclear-weapon states parties to the non-proliferation treaty or other internationally binding commitments not to manufacture or acquire nuclear explosive devices. The assurance makes it clear that it does no apply in the case of an attack on the United Kingdom, its dependent territories, its armed forces or its allies by such a state in association or alliance with nuclear-weapon-state.
There has been no change to the assurance. The disbanding of the Warsaw pact does not obviate the need for the exception.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to seek to achieve a decision on the extension of the non-proliferation treaty solely on the basis of consensus of states parties at the extension conference.

§ Mr. David Davis
Our aim at the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review and extension conference is to achieve the indefinite and unconditional extension of the treaty. Under the terms of the treaty, this can be achieved by a simple majority of state parties.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to declare the exact number of nuclear weapons and warheads deployed by the United Kingdom when he or one of his ministerial colleagues attends the non-proliferation treaty extension conference in April; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. David Davis
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 9 March 1995,Official Report, column 348. We shall continue to follow this policy at the non-proliferation treaty review and extension conference.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what differences exist between the negative security assurance under the non-proliferation treaty provided by the United Kingdom and that provided by the United States of America.

§ Mr. David Davis
The United Kingdom's negative security assurance is given to
non-nuclear weapon states which are parties to the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and to other internationally binding commitments not to manufacture or acquire nuclear explosive devices".
In the assurance Britain undertakes
not to use nuclear weapons against such States except in the case of an attack on the United Kingdom, its dependent territories, its armed forces or its allies by such a State in association or alliance with a nuclear-weapon State".
The United States, in its negative security assurances, stated that it would
not use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT (non-proliferation treaty) or any comparable internationally binding commitment not to acquire nuclear explosive devices, except in the case of an attack on the United States, its territories or armed forces, or its allies, by such a State allied to a nuclear-weapon State or associated with a nuclear-weapon state in carrying out or sustaining the attack".