§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his efforts to encourage the Governments of India and Pakistan to sign up to the(a) non-proliferation and (b) test ban treaties. [43808]
§ Mr. BradshawWe have regular contacts with both India and Pakistan on the full range of disarmament and non-proliferation issues. We are currently encouraging both countries to reduce nuclear tension in the region by engaging in a dialogue on confidence building measures. We also emphasise that our long-term goal is for India and Pakistan to abide by their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1172, including accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty as non-nuclear weapons states and signature and ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.