FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY

Early day motion 489, tabled 8 March 2000 by Harry Cohen (Labour). Signed by 36 members.

That this House congratulates former US President Jimmy Carter for his informative and important article in the Washington Post on 23rd February, in which he points out that both the United States and NATO have re-emphasised that they will not comply with a no first use of nuclear weapons policy, that Russia has reacted to this by rejecting its previous no first use commitment and is now more likely to rely on its nuclear arsenal, and also that American and Russian nuclear missiles are still maintained in a hair trigger alert status, susceptible to being launched in a spur-of-the-moment crisis or even by accident; further notes that former President Carter calls for all nuclear states to renew efforts to achieve worldwide reduction and ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons, and for leaders of nuclear nations to honour existing security agreements, including the test ban and anti-ballistic missile treaties, and to remove nuclear weapons from their present hair-trigger alert status; and calls upon the UK Government to act as the former president suggests, including at international fora, to counter this growing nuclear weapons crisis.

Signatures by party: Labour 31, Labour/Co-operative 2, Liberal Democrat 2, Plaid Cymru 1.