§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty on exports of plutonium by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. [48330]
§ Mr. Tony LloydWe do not expect the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty to have any impact on the export of plutonium by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.
511WThe Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty will ban the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons and other explosive devices. The UK has already ceased the production of fissile material for these purposes.
All exports of civil plutonium from the UK are subject to strict controls to ensure that the material is not diverted for use in nuclear weapons. Further information on these controls was given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Small Firms, Trade and Industry on 1 June 1998, Official Report, columns 119–20.