Written question asked by Jim Cousins (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 January 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 6 February 1998. It was answered by Lord Spellar (Labour) on Friday, 6 February 1998 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, at which locations he is undertaking research into (a) laser, (b) x-ray and (c) other radiological weapon systems.

Answer: Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which locations he is undertaking research into (a) laser, (b) x-ray and (c) other radiological weapon systems. [26944] Mr. Spellar: The employment of laser weapons designed to cause permanent blindness in unenhanced vision is banned by Protocol IV to the UN Weaponry Convention, to which the UK is a signatory. The UK therefore does not carry out research into such weapons. However, research into other laser systems to counter enemy weapons and to define protection measures for our own forces is carried out by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Farnborough, Fort Halstead, Portsdown, Malvern and Pershore. The UK does not carry out any research into x-ray weapons, nor into weapon systems whose primary effect is radiological, although nuclear weapons research is undertaken at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston.

Secondary information