*USA*: Nuclear Weapons
*Mr.
Hancock:* To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many US
nuclear weapons are maintained at /(a)/ RAF Lakenheath, /(b)/ other
UK mainland bases and /(c)/ UK bases overseas; and if he will make a
statement. [215792]
*Paul Flynn:* To ask the Secretary of
State for Defence whether all US nuclear weapons have been removed
from the UK; and if he will make a statement. [215449]
*Des
Browne:* NATO's Strategic Concept (paragraph 63) states that,
“nuclear forces based in Europe and committed to NATO
provide an essential political and military link between the European
and the North American members of the Alliance. The Alliance will
therefore maintain adequate nuclear forces in Europe.”
It
is NATO and UK policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of
nuclear weapons at a given location.
*Nuclear Submarines: Accidents*
*Mr. Hancock:* To ask
the Secretary of State for Defence whether nuclear submarine accident
procedures required by his Department are standardised for all ports
at which such submarines which have been involved in an accident may
berth. [216270]
*Mr. Bob Ainsworth:* Onboard procedures are
standardised by submarine class and are generic to any location.
Emergency plans for submarine berths are not standardised but
are developed, owned and maintained by the locally responsible
authority. Where UK legislation is not directly applicable the MOD
policy is, as far as possible, to apply UK standards.
*Nuclear Weapons*
*Mr. Hancock:* To ask the Secretary
of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that UK
nuclear weapons susceptible to popcorning, with particular regard to
/(a)/ their resistance to multiple simultaneous impacts and /(b)/
replacing the explosive currently used to surround the plutonium
cores; and if he will make a statement. [215791]
*Des
Browne:* The safety of any nuclear warhead is of paramount importance
in authorising its inclusion in the UK stockpile. I am satisfied with
the safety of the current UK stockpile, which is reviewed continually
to ensure acceptable levels of safety are maintained.
For the
purpose of safeguarding national security, I am not prepared to
comment further on particular aspects of nuclear warhead design.
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