Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy to support nuclear disarmament.

The United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent exists to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life. It will remain essential for as long as the global security threat picture demands it.

This Government's commitment to our nuclear deterrent maintained on behalf of the UK and our NATO allies is unshakeable.

The UK Government believes that the best way to achieve global nuclear disarmament is through a gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step-by-step approach which takes account of the international security environment and is under the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.