Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what analysis has been carried out by the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston into the effects on (a) human beings, (b) other animals and (c) the wider environment of the use of a nuclear warhead in the UK nuclear arsenal.

The effects of the use of a UK nuclear warhead are underpinned by modelling and analysis. The effects are dependent on a wide range of variable factors including: the yield and design of the weapon; the accuracy of the delivery system; the nature and construction of the target; the geographical characteristics of the surrounding terrain; geological conditions in the target area; the height of weapon burst; and the weather conditions at the target.