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Why we need the Freedom of Information Act

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 4 February 2012

Although people sometimes assume that Nuclear Information Service obtains its information about the UK's nuclear weapons from moles, spies, and insider sources, the reality is far less exciting.  One of the most important routes through which we obtain information is by asking for it directly from the Ministry of Defence and other government bodies using the powers of the Freedom of Information Act.

The virtual option

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 27 January 2012

The BASIC Trident Commission was set up almost a year ago to investigate the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons policy and the issue of Trident renewal and, better late than never, I've just got round to submitting Nuclear Information Service's evidence to the Commission.

Nuclear ethics: forgotten virtues?

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 17 December 2011

Earlier this week I was invited to a meeting of the Birmingham Policy Commission – an initiative set up by the University of Birmingham to examine the arguments for and against nuclear power as a future energy generating technology.

A tale of two reviews

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 27 May 2011

How much of an issue will plans to replace the UK's Trident nuclear weapons be during the next general election campaign?  Although the election is not scheduled to take place until 2015, the battlelines for the Trident debate are already being drawn.

AWE visits to the USA give insight into US-UK nuclear co-operation

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 14 April 2011

Recently revealed information on visits to the United States of America by staff from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has shed a little more light on the nature of US – UK co-operation on nuclear weapons programmes.

Navy's submarine reactors do not meet civilian safety standards

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 10 March 2011

The nuclear reactors which power the Royal Navy's fleet of submarines do not meet civilian standards of safety according to secret documents released to the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament under the Freedom of Information Act.

Vive l'entente cordiale?

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 20 February 2011

Abolition 2000 brought together campaigners and analysts from both sides of the Channel this weekend at a seminar to discuss the implications of the new UK – France Defence and Security Co-operation Treaty.  The Treaty commits the two nations to co-operation over defence and security issues for the next 50 years, with a separate agreement to develop joint facilities for nuclear weapons physics research.

Modifications, upgrades, and new warheads

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 29 January 2011

As well as revealing the precarious state of nuclear safety at the Ministry of Defence, the recently released series of annual safety reports has also revealed some interesting insights into the UK's Trident nuclear warhead programme.

Safety risks reach red at Ministry of Defence

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 28 January 2011

Top-level Ministry of Defence (MoD) reports from the Admirals responsible for the UK's military nuclear safety reveal that a lack of adequate and resources and suitably competent staff may place safety and the environment at risk in the medium term.

Watch out for stealth spending on Trident replacement

By Nuclear Information Service
Date: 27 January 2011

Greenpeace UK and CND have been doing some sterling work to establish how much money will be spent on the Trident replacement programme before Parliament decides whether to give the final go-ahead for the programme after the next general election.

Pages

Blog posts

The Case Against UK Trident: A Naval Officer’s Perspective
2 July 2018 Cdr Rob Forsyth RN (ret’d)

Guest Blog by Cdr Rob Forsyth RN (ret’d)

Financial risks on Trident successor – a Conspiracy of Concealment
15 August 2017 Jag Patel

Defence procurement problems which are likely to affect the Dreadnought programme

AWE’s radioactive waste plan is sixteen years overdue, but is it realistic?
21 April 2017 David Cullen

What are the prospects for progress on AWE's Higher Activity Waste problem?