Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The UK believes that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has been, and continues to be, a huge success. For over 50 years it has minimised the proliferation of nuclear weapons; provided the framework to enable significant levels of nuclear disarmament, and allowed States to develop secure, safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The NPT has played an unparalleled role in curtailing the nuclear arms race. Coupled with the safeguards regime operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has deterred all but a few states from acquiring nuclear weapons. Globally, the number of nuclear weapons has reduced by nearly three quarters since its peak in the mid-1980s. The NPT continues to be essential to the maintenance of a safe and secure world. The UK remains strongly committed to the NPT and will work towards a successful Review Conference in January 2022.