§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether scientists at the Atomic Weapon Establishments are continuing their collaborative work with the United States on hydrodynamic and primary certification testing. [118631]
§ Dr. MoonieThe United Kingdom is continuing to participate in a series of hydrodynamic experiments in the USA to help ensure the safety and reliability of our Trident nuclear warheads. The Government attaches great importance to maintaining the safety and serviceability of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons. The Strategic Defence Review in 1998 confirmed the need for a robust capability to underwrite the safety and reliability of Trident, in the absence of nuclear testing. A scientific methodology is being developed at the Atomic Weapons Establishment to continue to give this assurance with high confidence. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 12 February 2002,Official Report, column 166W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Ms McIsaac). A review of the science behind this programme was published in "Nature" in February 2002.
§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the UK(a) will contribute data to and (b) use US data gathered from the Advanced Concepts Initiative research and development work; [118633]
(2) to what extent UK scientists will collaborate with the US National Nuclear Security Administration's weapons laboratories in research and development into potential new and modified nuclear weapons capabilities under the Advanced Concepts Initiative. [118630]
§ Dr. MoonieExchanges of information on a wide field of technologies take place between the United Kingdom and the United States under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement. There is no formal UK involvement in the US Advanced Concepts Initiative or the Advanced Nuclear Weapons Concepts research programme under the 1958 agreement.