Written question asked by Julian Lewis (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 November 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 November 2001. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 November 2001 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the risk of former Soviet bloc (a) nuclear and (b) chemical/biological warfare scientists selling their skills to foreign regimes.

Answer: Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the risk of former Soviet bloc (a) nuclear and (b) chemical/biological warfare scientists selling their skills to foreign regimes. [13681] Mr. Bradshaw: It is estimated that there may be many thousands of Russian nuclear and chemical and biological warfare scientists who have lost their jobs or who face the prospect of losing their jobs in the next few years. The possibility that these scientists may sell their skills to foreign regimes is one that the UK takes seriously. To address this, UK funds are directed, through the European Union, to the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC). The ISTC was set up in 1994, following an agreement signed by the EU, US, Japan and the Russian Federation, to stem the possibility of recruitment of former Soviet scientists by potential proliferators, through the funding of non-weapons related research at former defence institutes.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 13681; 374 c663W
Session: 2001-02
Subjects: Chemical and biological warfare Recruitment Nuclear weapons Redundancy Proliferation Russia Eastern Europe Emigration Scientists
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk