Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to assist Kiribati in collecting information on the possible impacts of past nuclear weapons testing on its territory.

Ministers have not discussed this topic with Kiribati counterparts. The UK government appreciates the importance of the biodiversity and cultural value of the many islands that make up the Republic of Kiribati including those affected by nuclear testing in the pre-independence period and acknowledges the Line and Phoenix Islands Integrated Development Strategy 2016-2036. The UK hopes that its increased funding for environmental and climate related initiatives in the Pacific region will be able to contribute to the achievement of this strategy in line with the needs of Kiribati communities in the islands.