Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the UK's obligations as a depositary government of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and what steps they take to fulfil the responsibilities of that role.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government acts in accordance with Article IX of the NPT which states: 'The Depositary Governments shall promptly inform all signatory and acceding States of the date of each signature, the date of deposit of each instrument of ratification or of accession, the date of the entry into force of this Treaty, and the date of receipt of any requests for convening a conference or other notices.'
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of lifting the cap on the number of Trident nuclear warheads the UK can stockpile on negotiations at the next Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will continue to work for a successful NPT Review Conference that continues to lay the groundwork and helps build the trust and confidence necessary for multilateral disarmament, as well as strengthening the non-proliferation and peaceful uses pillars of the Treaty. We will continue to play a leading role in developing nuclear disarmament verification, on which our ability to achieve and maintain a world without nuclear weapons will depend. We will also continue to build trust and confidence amongst nuclear weapon states, and between nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states.
As coordinator of the P5 Process in 2019 and 2020, we pushed forward work on transparency, leading the way with our consultation exercise on the UK's national implementation report that has now been taken up by others, and securing agreement to a presentation by the nuclear weapon states of their national nuclear doctrines at the Review Conference. We look forward to continuing these discussions and picking up other important issues such as strategic risk reduction.
As we approach the NPT Review Conference, we will continue to demonstrate our commitment to all pillars of the NPT, including disarmament.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of lifting the cap on the number of Trident nuclear warheads the UK can stockpile on nuclear non-proliferation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The fundamental purpose of the UK's nuclear deterrent remains to deter other states' use of nuclear weapons. We would never encourage others to develop nuclear weapons in breach of their NPT obligations. We remain committed to multilateral disarmament and our shared long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British embassies have a consular section; what is the remit of a consular section; and whether such sections keep a register of British citizens resident in their territorial scope.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is represented by 187 Diplomatic missions with a Consular presence, as well as a network of over 200 Honorary Consuls. We provide help and support 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, through our network of trained staff. Details of the remit of our consular support are set out in Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/914039/FCO_BritsAbroad_A4web_020920.pdf). We do not require British travellers to register with us when they are overseas.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of British citizens who are resident outside of the UK, broken down by country of residence.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not hold data on the number of British citizens who are resident overseas. This is because there is no requirement for British travellers or residents to register with us when they go overseas.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of British citizens who are resident overseas.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not hold data on the number of British citizens who are resident overseas. This is because there is no requirement for British travellers or residents to register with us when they go overseas.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Select Committee on International Relations Rising nuclear risk, disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, published on 24 April 2019 (HL Paper 338); and what plans they have to ensure high level UK representation at the next Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government welcomes the continued engagement with the International Relations and Defence Committee, including during the inquiry. We are grateful for the Committee's feedback on the Government's approach to the NPT, and the Review Conference. The Government's full response to the report's recommendations has been published by the Committee and can be found here: https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/lords-committees/International-Relations-Committee/NPT-and-Nuclear-Disarmament/Government-Response-Risng-nuclear-risk-disarmament-and-the-Nuclear-Non-Proliferation-Report.pdf .The next NPT Review Conference has been postponed until August 2021; the Government has not yet made a decision on UK representation.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their priorities for the next Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's priority is to reinforce the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a vital part of the international security architecture, and to highlight the UK's strong track record across all three pillars of the treaty. The Government will work to promote transparency between nuclear and non-nuclear states, emphasise the important role of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in achieving our sustainable development goals, and submit a National Report to highlight our achievements in supporting the NPT.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake further work on nuclear disarmament verification; and what budget has been allocated for this work.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to research nuclear disarmament verification through our well-established Atomic Weapons Establishment programme. Areas of focus include solving the challenges of verifying inventories of warheads or fissile material; and determining how non-nuclear weapon states can participate in verification while preventing the release of proliferative information. The Government participates in international initiatives such as the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification and the Quad Partnership. The Government is unable to disclose budgetary information as it may prejudice commercial interests.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the UN Security Council’s five permanent members have taken to ensure a productive Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The P5 continue to work towards a successful NPT Review Conference in 2021. During the UK's leadership of the P5, the Government hosted a series of P5 meetings on exchanging nuclear doctrines, risk reduction and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In February 2020, the London P5 Conference provided a platform for open and frank discussions amongst the P5, civil society and the wider NPT community.