HC Deb 29 October 1999 vol 336 cc1017-8W
Mr. Colman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which countries have(a) signed and (b) ratified the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. [96422]

Dr. Howells

(a) Forty-four States have signed protocols additional to their existing safeguards agreements: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay and Uzbekistan. In addition, Cuba has concluded an Additional Protocol which it has not yet signed.

(b) The Additional Protocols of seven States have entered into force: Australia, Holy See, Indonesia, Jordan, Monaco, New Zealand and Uzbekistan.

Mr. Colman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the voluntary arrangements by companies and institutions to fulfil the requirements of the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. [96416]

Dr. Howells

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was this week provided with voluntary declarations of information of the type which the UK will have to provide under Article 2 of the protocol additional to the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement once the protocol enters into force. The declarations were provided with the full co-operation of the relevant companies and institutions.

Mr. Colman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for bringing forward ratification of the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. [96420]

Dr. Howells

In order for the Protocol additional to the 1976 safeguards agreement between the United Kingdom, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Atomic Energy Community to enter into force, primary legislation is required, the Government are considering how legislation for this purpose may best be brought forward at an early date.

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