DEPARTMENT FOR
BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2008/034)
issued by The Government News Network on 18 February 2008
New collaboration
between the UK and United States will widen the geographical scope
of efforts to address nuclear and radiological security and
proliferation threats, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks announced today.
As part of the programme, an initial £2m is being put into
initiatives designed to secure high-risk nuclear and other
radioactive materials and combat their illicit trafficking.
The Government today also published the fifth Annual Report on
the Global Threat Reduction Programme, detailing progress made on
reducing the threat of proliferation of dangerous nuclear,
radiological, biological and chemical materials. Specific
progress has been made by the UK in assisting chemical weapon
destruction in Russia.
Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks said:
"Joining forces with the US will provide further impetus to
our threat reduction projects. Our first joint initiative will be
a new project to enhance long-term security of highly active spent
radioactive sources in Ukraine and we are already in discussion
with Ukrainian and the US about how best to move this forward."
The collaboration was also welcomed by the US Department of
Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
NNSA Administrator, Thomas D'Agostino said:
"We appreciate the opportunity to work together with our
allies and other countries to advance our common international
security goals. These partnerships allow NNSA to make even more
progress toward strengthening nuclear security and countering the
threat of nuclear proliferation."
The partnership builds on the success of the UK's existing
Global Threat Reduction Programme. Significant progress for the
year included management of the stockpiles of spent nuclear fuel
from decommissioned submarines in NW Russia, further progress on
construction of a key chemical weapons destruction facility,
redirection of former WMD scientists and the implementation of a
programme on enhancements to security of nuclear materials.
FCO Minister, Kim Howells said:
The UK is continuing to deliver on its range of international
security and non-proliferation objectives. Our range of projects,
the majority of which are focused in the FSU with funding of over
£36m per annum, continue to deliver tangible benefits for UK and
global security. The annual report highlights the progress of our
work on projects from management of 30 tonnes of spent nuclear
fuel in NW Russia to assistance towards the irreversible closure
of weapons grade plutonium production reactors in Russia and Kazakhstan."
The Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Bob Ainsworth said:
"In the past two months, MOD has placed contracts worth some
£12m for construction and procurement projects in support of the
chemical weapon destruction facility at Shchuch'ye in Russia.
We have now placed contracts with a total value of over £75m on
behalf of UK, Canada and a dozen other international donors. These
projects will be completed over the next few months, and help
Russia to bring this key facility into operation by about the end
of this year."
Notes for editors
1. The UK Global Threat Reduction Programme 2007 annual report is
available online at http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/non-proliferation/global-threat-reduction/ar-english/page40802.html
2. The report reviews the UK's progress over the past year
in establishing, implementing and completing a substantial
portfolio of projects and programmes - mainly in the Russian
Federation and other Former Soviet Union countries, to help tackle
nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological security threats.
The work is part of the international effort initiated at the 2002
G8 Summit at Kananaskis, Canada, to enhance strategic stability
consistent with international security objectives and in support
of multilateral non-proliferation regimes.
3. Further details about the programme and projects can be found
at http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/non-proliferation/global-threat-reduction/index.html
4. BERR is responsible for implementing the nuclear elements of
the UK Government's Global Threat Reduction Programme.
5. The Global Threat Reduction Programme is aimed at the
non-proliferation of weapons or materials of mass destruction
through the establishment of cooperative threat reduction projects
with key partner nations.
6. The Global Threat Reduction Programmes includes the UK
contribution to the Global Partnership against the Spread of
Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction Programme, a $20b ten
year programme agreed at the G8 Summit at Kananaskis, Canada in
2002 to address the nuclear, chemical and biological legacies of
the Former Soviet Union, initially Russia.
7. At Kananskis, the UK committed up to $750 million over ten
years to fund projects in pursuit of the Partnership's aims.
8. The Ministry of Defence is responsible for implementing the
chemical weapons destruction and biological elements.
9. The Global Threat Reduction Programme is overseen by a UK
Ministerial Oversight Board led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
10. The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
helps UK business succeed in an increasingly competitive world. It
promotes business growth and a strong enterprise economy, leads
the better regulation agenda and champions free and fair markets.
It is the shareholder in a number of Government-owned assets and
it works to secure, clean and competitively priced energy supplies