§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will support an extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to include all weapons which present any significant radiological risk. [142317]
§ Mr. IngramThe scope of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is clearly restricted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. However, the UK raised the issue of the possible malevolent use of high-level radioactive sources by terrorists in its Statement to the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT 2005 Review Conference on 6 May 2003. As we indicated in that Statement, we supported the work of 275W the IAEA in concluding its Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources which was adopted in September this year, and we encourage the IAEA in its more security-focused work relating to radioactive sources. We welcomed the findings of the international conference on the Security of Radioactive Sources held in Vienna in March 2003. We support both the G8 Statement and its Action Plan on securing radioactive sources agreed at the Evian Summit earlier this year.
§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his US counterparts regarding the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty review. [142318]
§ Mr. HoonI have had no discussions with my US counterparts about the 2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. UK officials are in contact with US officials on issues relating to the NPT and the 2005 Review Conference.