Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the use of nuclear weapons; and what steps they are taking to ensure that they will not be used.

Her Majesty's Government recognises the possible humanitarian and environmental consequences which could result from the use of nuclear weapons. We hope never to have to use them, but to deliver effective deterrence in all circumstances; and we remain fully committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

We take our responsibilities as a nuclear weapon state, including reducing the risk of nuclear conflict, very seriously. Our Trident missiles have not been targeted at any state since 1994 and our submarines are at several days' notice to fire. We will continue to work internationally to build trust and confidence between states; including through the P5 process which, under UK leadership, has made important progress on several issues of relevance to strategic risk reduction, including discussions on the concept of risk reduction, nuclear doctrines, and transparency.