The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answers on 15th November 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prepare for the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in January 2022; what steps they are taking to ensure a successful outcome; and what discussions they are having with other nuclear weapon states on the prevention of nuclear conflict.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK will work for a successful NPT Review Conference that continues to lay the groundwork and helps build the trust and confidence necessary for multilateral disarmament, as well as strengthening the non-proliferation and peaceful uses pillars of the Treaty. We will continue to play a leading role in developing nuclear disarmament verification, on which our ability to achieve and maintain a world without nuclear weapons will depend. We will also continue to build trust and confidence amongst nuclear weapon states, and between nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states. The Government has regular dialogue with Nuclear Weapon States on nuclear issues through the P5 Process. This dialogue has included our respective nuclear doctrines, strategic risk reduction and increasing transparency.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking ahead of the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1) to clarify their nuclear defence posture, and (2) to offer unconditional assurances to states without nuclear weapons that there are no circumstances under which they would be subject to a threat of nuclear attack by the UK.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains strongly committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and will work towards the Tenth Review Conference contributing to the implementation of the Treaty in all its aspects. The UK’s nuclear posture and Negative Security Assurances were outlined in the UK’s Integrated Review, published in March 2021, and the UK’s National Report on the UK’s progress on the three pillars of the NPT, published on 1 November. The UK considers that we can best protect ourselves and our Allies by the continued operation of a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent based on a continuous at sea deterrence posture. The UK’s Negative Security Assurances remain unchanged. The UK will not use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear weapons states party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This assurance does not apply to any state in material breach of those non-proliferation obligations. We will continue to keep our nuclear posture and policy under constant review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to engage as an observer in the first Meeting of the State Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in March 2022.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The United Kingdom will not send Observers to the First Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Government has been clear it will not sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). We do not believe this Treaty will bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons. The best way to achieve this is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step-by-step approach, under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament and its stepping stones approach; and what plans they have, if any, to join this initiative.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK supports Sweden’s Stepping Stones initiative on disarmament, which consists of Non-Nuclear Weapon States, and we value their leadership in this area. Although we do not agree with all of their recommendations, we have constructive engagement with Sweden and a broad range of international partners on disarmament issues.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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