Written question asked by Fabian Hamilton (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 May 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 June 2023 (named day). It was answered by Leo Docherty (Conservative) on Monday, 5 June 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

USA: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the United States on ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Answer: The UK frequently calls for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which requires that all Annex II States - China, DPRK (North Korea), Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and USA - sign and ratify the CTBT. On 27 February, I [Minister Docherty] called for the entry into force of the CTBT in a speech at the Conference on Disarmament. On 6 April, the UK and France issued a joint statement on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of joint ratification of the CTBT including our call for the universalisation of the Treaty and for all States who had not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty.

Secondary information