Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of Iran's development of the IR-8 centrifuge; and what effect this will have on that country's enrichment capabilities.

The 29 May report from the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General confirms that Iran’s development work on the IR-8 centrifuge has continued in accordance with the Joint Plan of Action. Iran’s IR-8 research and development is limited to one prototype machine in place without connections at the Natanz nuclear facility. Use of IR-8 machines could significantly increase Iran’s enrichment capabilities should research and development on the centrifuge be completed.