HC Deb 12 January 1998 vol 304 cc140-2W
Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the annual budget for his Department's Proliferation Arms Control Unit in the last two years; [22512]

(2) what work his Department is currently carrying out to support and implement arms control treaties in the fields of (a) chemical weapons and (b) nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement; [22516]

(3) What work is currently being carried out by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment Porton Down to (a) support and implement the Chemical Weapons Convention and (b) support the negotiations to strengthen the 1972 Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention; [22548]

(4) what work is currently being carried out by the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston to support and implement international arms control agreements and treaties; [22549]

(5) what work is being carried out by his Department to support the negotiations to strengthen the 1972 Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention. [22517]

Mr. George Robertson

The Ministry of Defence and its agencies and contractors conduct a wide range of activities in support of the negotiation and implementation of international nuclear, biological and chemical arms control and non-proliferation agreements, in parallel with extensive activities in support of conventional arms control. It provides particular expertise in support of the effective verification of such arrangements.

The central division for this work is the Proliferation and Arms Control Secretariat within the Defence Policy Staff. It draws on other parts of the Department as necessary, including the Defence Commitments Staff, and specialists within the Defence Intelligence Staff and the Defence scientific staffs. The division works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to develop Government Arms Control policy as a whole and routinely provides part of the UK team at international arms control negotiations and discussions. Its budget for 1995–96 was £3.362 million, and for 1996–97, £2.735 million. As well as the costs of the London-based staff, this also includes provision for the Senior Military Adviser to the UK Delegation to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe based in Vienna, and for a range of work at the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector (CBD) of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Porton Down in support of the effective verification of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions. Outside the Department's Central Staffs, the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group, based at RAF Henlow, although mainly engaged in incoming and outgoing inspections under the CFE Treaty and Vienna Document, also provides escorts when UK defence facilities and units are inspected under the Chemical Weapons Convention. JACIG is also responsible for escorting under the INF Treaty and inspections to the former US Ground Launched Cruise Missile facilities in the UK.

The Department and the Armed Forces also continue to provide significant support to the work of the UN Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in eliminating Iraq's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. The Director of the Proliferation and Arms Control Secretariat is a member of the Special Commission.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment has long had particular expertise in the seismic monitoring of nuclear tests, a programme costing some £1.5 million in the current financial year. Its specialist staff made a widely recognised contribution to the negotiation of an effective verification regime for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The UK's contribution to the costs of the CTBT Organisation and the establishment of the International Monitoring System—£850,000 in the current financial year—is funded from the Defence budget. The MOD also provides a specialist in the UK Mission in Vienna in support of CTBT implementation.

CBD Porton Down provides advice and research and development on a range of Chemical and Biological arms control and export control matters, both for the MOD and other Government Departments, including for the DTI in support of national implementation of the CWC. It is recognised internationally as a leading player in development of chemical and biological verification techniques. Experts from Porton Down provide technical support to the UK delegation in Geneva in the negotiations to strengthen the BTWC. This includes acting as Friend of the Chair in some technical meetings. CBD also provides support for the UN Special Commission on Iraq, and for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), including input to inspector training, and is preparing for nomination as an OPCW designated laboratory for sample analysis.