Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made on work to replace the UK's voluntary offer safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to remain compliant with its obligations under international law when the UK leaves Euratom in March 2019.

The Department has begun formal negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on future arrangements for the application of civil nuclear safeguards in the UK, in light of the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom. The UK is seeking to conclude a new Voluntary Offer Agreement and a new Additional Protocol and our intention is for these agreements to follow the same principles as the current ones.

These discussions began in September: they have been constructive and fruitful, and substantial progress has been made. It is expected that these new agreements will be put to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors for ratification at some point in 2018. The UK has emphasised its continued commitment to the IAEA and to international standards for nuclear safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation.