Under the terms of a new treaty Britain and France intend to collaborate on nuclear warhead technology for the next 50 years.   The agreement, announced by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, commits the two nations to undertake a joint programme of co-operation on nuclear weapon technology at a new hydrodynamics research facility at Valduc in France and a joint Technology Development Centre at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston.

Read all about the agreement and its implications in NIS's new briefing 'Anglo-French nuclear co-operation and the 'Teutates' programme', and download a copy of the treaty itself. ... more

There is a hidden bonus of over £2bn to US corporations if the government goes ahead with building new nuclear warheads http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/
jul/25/nuclear.weaponstechnology

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AWE expects Planning Approval for a new nuclear warhead conventional components facility on Wednesday 13th August 2008.

Building plans for another warhead production facility at AWE Aldermaston are expected to be approved by West Berkshire Council Planning on Wednesday 13th August. (See NIS Update July 2008. Public denials of government preparations to develop and manufacture a replacement for the current Trident W76 warhead have lacked credibility since the AWE Aldermaston Site Development Plan was published in 2002

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The Guardian reports that David Gould, former chief operating officer at the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation, stated in June 2007 that AWE would build a new Trident warhead. At a defence industry conference Mr Gould said: "The intention is to replace the entire Vanguard class submarine system. Including the warhead and missile." The MoD continues to deny that the government has taken the decision to build a new warhead, despite the eight-year building project to modernise the warhead manufacturing facility at AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield.

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jYnTLA2O1_zZeCJRPEMNLGYcqCAA

It wasn’t quite a throwback to the Cold War era of rowdy Commons debates and campaigners chained to the gates of Greenham Common. But last week’s rebellion over the UK’s nuclear arsenal was still sizeable. It also drew a major parallel with the past: ministers, officials and the public have little idea how much the controversial nuclear deterrent will cost ... more

*Dr. Julian Lewis:* To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on recent discussions with Kellogg Brown and Root about future investment in Devonport Dockyard. ... more

The Sunday Times of 12 March carried substantial articles and comment on the future of Britain's nuclear weapons programme ... more