§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the joint working group on "Nuclear Forces and Counter Proliferation Studies", referred to by Mr. Freeman on the 16th February (HC Deb, col. WA 824), forms part of the NATO counter-proliferation studies or is a separate exercise, and whether in this working group, or otherwise, they have asked to see the ballistic missile defence systems and technologies recently secured by the US authorities from Belarus, and if not whether they will now do so.
§ Lord HenleyThe joint working groups referred to provide a means for the exchange of information between the United Kingdom and the United States under the aegis of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement. They are unconnected with NATO.
I understand that no discussions have taken place with the United States about ballistic missile defence equipment which may have been obtained from Belarus. It remains open for the subject to be raised bilaterally in the future should this be appropriate.