Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Monday 1 February 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government have been clear that they will not sign the treaty and welcome the US offer to extend the new START with Russia.
  • The Government did not sign up to the treaty because they believe it is not effective, preferring the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
  • The UK believes in nuclear weapons as a deterrent against aggressive powers such as North Korea, supporting multilateral disarmament.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Patrick Grady SNP
Defence
Context

The MP questioned the recent assessment of the treaty's effectiveness, noting that it is aimed at prohibiting nuclear weapons.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Government have been clear that they will not sign the treaty and welcome the US offer to extend the new START—strategic arms reduction treaty—with Russia, supporting its robust verification mechanisms.

Answered
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Q2 Patricia Gibson SNP
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP expressed deep disappointment and frustration over Scotland and UK's failure to join other countries in signing the treaty on prohibition of nuclear weapons.

Question

Why did the UK fail to support this treaty, and how is it consistent with its strategic objectives under article VI of the NPT?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Government did not sign up to the treaty because they believe it is not effective, preferring the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as a more effective way of reducing both spread and number of nuclear weapons through gradual multilateral disarmament.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific explanation on alignment with strategic objectives under article VI was not provided

How: Under Review, Looking At This

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Q3 Patrick Grady SNP
Defence
Context

The MP questioned why global Britain is not aligning with global consensus on prohibiting nuclear weapons, asking for bold steps to sign the treaty.

Question

Why will the Government not take the bold steps of signing this treaty and remove Trident from the shores?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The UK believes in nuclear weapons as a deterrent against aggressive powers such as North Korea, supporting multilateral disarmament rather than unilateral actions. They aim to reduce nuclear holdings around the world through multilateral negotiations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment on bold steps and removing Trident was not given

How: Under Review, Looking At This

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