§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to part 2(3) of his Department's management information system for Ministers—MINIS—return, what proposals he has to ensure that the verification regime established for the fissile materials cut-off convention is proportionate to the security gains and that the United Kingdom contribution to the costs is not disproportionate. [40508]
§ Mr. NelsonWe are preparing for prospective negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty. A ban on the future production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices would be a significant contribution to non-proliferation and international security, provided that it enjoyed wide support from countries including those which have not yet signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The nature and scope of the proposed FMCT and its associated verification regime have still to be negotiated.