Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by the Nuclear Information Service, <i>Playing with Fire</i>, published in February, which documents 110 accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences during the 65 years of the UK’s nuclear weapons programme, what steps they are taking to improve nuclear weapons safety.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes its responsibilities for the safety and security of nuclear weapons very seriously. The defence nuclear programme has never experienced an incident that has posed any risk to the public or the environment. Joint regulation by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the independent Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator helps the Department maintain this achievement, ensuring defence sites adhere to the same high standards as the civil nuclear programme. The safety of the public, our submarine crews, the defence workforce and the protection of the environment remain the MOD's priority.