Written question asked by Lord Hague of Richmond (Conservative) on Wednesday, 25 April 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 27 April 2007. It was answered by Baroness Beckett (Labour) on Monday, 4 June 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures the Government have taken to prevent specialised teaching or training of Iranian nationals in disciplines which would contribute to Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities and development of nuclear weapon delivery systems in accordance with Article 6 of the EU Council Common Position 2007/140/CFSP.

Answer: A voluntary vetting scheme is currently in place which encourages universities to refer post-graduate students planning to study subjects of concern, including disciplines which could contribute to Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities and development of nuclear weapon delivery systems, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for counter-proliferation advice. In line with Article 6 of Common Position 2007/140 Common Foreign and Security Policy, we will take the necessary measures to prevent such teaching or training by introducing a mandatory vetting scheme in advance of the visa application stage. Technical work is continuing with a view to introducing this mandatory scheme at the earliest opportunity.

Secondary information