Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council about nuclear disarmament.

The UK works with the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (or P5) to uphold the global security framework, and, in their character as Nuclear Weapon States recognised by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), on nuclear disarmament. In 2009, the UK initiated the so-called 'P5 Process' of dialogue between the five on issues related to the NPT. In February 2020 the UK hosted the ninth Conference of this process in London, where the five Nuclear Weapons States considered progress on the three pillars of the NPT - disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy - and preparations for the next NPT Review Conference. During its coordination of the P5 process in 2019/20, the UK has prioritised P5 collective work on increasing confidence and transparency, as well as building our mutual understanding of strategic risk reduction concepts and our respective nuclear doctrines. In addition, with the other Nuclear Weapon States, the UK fully participates in the Conference of Disarmament and other international meetings, including the US-led 'Creating an Environment for Nuclear Disarmament' initiative, to progress our collective commitment to eventual nuclear disarmament.