I believe that as this government has constantly reiterated its desire for world-wide nuclear disarmament it is well-placed to take a lead towards this end.

  India and Pakistan are unlikely to sign the NPT, and non-nuclear NPT signatories are increasingly unlikely to abide by it, until they see some movement from the nuclear states to honour their agreement under Article 6 to "pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date an to nuclear disarmament".

  The CTBT has suffered a severe blow by the refusal of the US last October to ratify it. It was good to see UK pressure on the US to ratify and it is to be hoped that this will be maintained.

  The UK could unblock progress towards a FMCT by agreeing to allow current stocks of plutonium to be covered by the treaty. To do otherwise is to call into question the seriousness of a desire for nuclear disarmament.

  The announcement in the Labour Party's Strategic Defence Review (1997) that the expertise at Aldermaston would be used partly to develop effective verification and monitoring regimes for treaties is to be welcomed and encouraged.