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Prime Minister

Answer

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral statement on Libya of 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 1267, on which date Libya first volunteered information on the extent of their chemical and nuclear weapons programmes; to which countries the highly sensitive documentation and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) related equipment were removed; by whom and how it was decided to where this equipment should be removed; and if he will place in the Library written declarations Libya has made in respect of its WMD programme. [165572] The Prime Minister: On 19 December, Libya declared its intention to dismantle completely and verifiably its weapons of mass destruction programmes and to limit the range of its missiles. The UK and US assisted Libya by removing all declared nuclear weapons related material to secure locations in the US. This was done with the full knowledge, agreement and cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). No chemical weapons material related has been removed from Libya. Under the supervision of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), all Libya's declared chemical weapons munitions have been destroyed. We are currently in discussions with the Libyan authorities concerning the destruction of their chemical agents. Within their respective remits, the responsibility for verifying Libya's written declarations lies with the IAEA and the OPCW. The Libyan authorities have fully informed these organisations about the details of their weapons programmes. Copies of the IAEA's and OPCW's initial reports on Libya's nuclear and chemical weapons programmes have been placed in the Library of the House. The UN has welcomed this move by Libya as a positive step towards the strengthening of global efforts to prevent the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

419 c1568-9W;419 c1570-1W; 165572

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Disclosure of information Chemical weapons Biological weapons Nuclear weapons Proliferation Weapons Libya

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk