Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, puruant to the Answers of 3 July 2014, Official Report, column 725W, on nuclear weapons and of 10 July 2014, Official Report, column 358W, on nuclear weapons, if he will publish the titles of reports requested for the longest most recent period of time that will not incur disproportionate cost.

Responsibility for the transportation of warheads was transferred to the Warship Support Agency (now part of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)) from the RAF in 2002. Titles of reports that relate to the risks of the transport of nuclear warheads that are held by DE&S are shown below. To conduct a search of the archived files held by the RAF could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

• Threat Vulnerability Assessment/Peer Review dated 14 April 2014
• Review of security arrangements across Nuclear Weapon Lifecycle Phases (LCP) 1-3, dated 18 July 2012
• (Project Armoured Nuclear Transporter) Truck Cargo Heavy Duty Mk3 Transport Operational Safety Case (OSC) Issue 2 dated October2011
• Nuclear Weapons Security – Op DANSK Final Report dated 29 April 2010
• The Future Role of the Ministry of Defence Police (known as The Woolley Report) 3 September 2009.
• Transport and Base Security Study dated 8 May 2006
• Operational Safety Case for the Transport of Nuclear Weapons, Issue 2 dated January 2005
• Director Nuclear Movements and Nuclear Accident Response Group Safety Statement for the Modification of the Nuclear Weapon Convoy task to Continuous Running including running in the hours of darkness dated 16 December 2004
• Review of Nuclear Weapon Road Convoy Security Arrangements, by Brig J H Thomas dated 19 February 2003.
• Movements by Sea of Nuclear Weapons dated 17 December 1996
• Management Services Organisation Study No.774 Nuclear Road Convoys, dated October 1993

A number of reports have been identified that relate to the effects of the use of a UK nuclear weapon, where the titles could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. This information is, however, being withheld to safeguard national security, because its release would prejudice the defence of the UK, and because it relates to the formulation of Government policy.