16.01.2007
Ask Defence Secretary Des Browne about Trident Replacement
You can submit questions now for a webchat with the Defence Secretary Des Browne which will take place at 16:00 tomorrow (Wednesday 17th January). Details are below. Click here to submit your questions for the webchat.
CND encourages you to send in questions on the proposed replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system.
You may want to focus on the following areas:
a) Relevance to national security
b) The cost
c) The lack of public consultation
d) The undermining of Non-Proliferation treaty commitments
Here are some sample questions you may want to refer to when formulating your questions to Mr Browne:
1. On what basis can the UK Government insist that other countries halt their nuclear ambitions while seeking to justify the replacement of its own nuclear weapons system?
2. Is the government not concerned that its arguments for maintaining a nuclear weapons system could equally be argued by current non-nuclear weapon states?
3. What initiatives are the government engaged in to start multilateral disarmament negotiations?
4. Is it intended that the replacement for the Vanguard submarines will use similar but updated designs as those used for Vanguard or Astute? If so, why does the government think that so much time is necessary to develop a replacement?
5. On the 28th of June 2006, Tony Blair announced in the House of Commons that the launch of the White Paper on Trident replacement would be accompanied by an announcement on the means of consultation for the fullest possible debate. How is the government facilitating that consultation?
6. Tony Blair has stated that nuclear weapons provide no protection from terrorists. Should the government not adapt its defence policy to changing international circumstances and direct funding elsewhere?
7. The many billions of pounds Trident replacement will cost could pay for thousands of doctors, nurses or teachers, investment in renewable energy sources, or be used on defence and intelligence resources better suited to meeting the challenges the UK faces today. Can such spending be justified above other priorities?
For some useful information, see
CND’s Trident replacement Q&A at http://www.cnduk.org/pages/Q&A.pdf and
CND’s Trident replacement briefing at http://www.cnduk.org/pages/binfo/ntr06.pdf
Webchat with Des Browne, Defence Secretary
http://www.webchat.pm.gov.uk/index.asp?webchatID=31
The PM has delivered the sixth in his series of Our Nation’s Future speeches – this time the subject was defence. He spoke about the kind of threats Britain will face in the future and the forces we will need to deal with them. He highlighted the major choices we as a country must take.
You now have the chance to question Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, about the PM’s speech or the UK’s defence policy in the latest of our popular webchats.
Pose your question now and log-on at 1600 GMT next Wednesday to watch or join the chat live.
Instructions for use
· You can submit your question in advance of the live event, just follow the instructions below.
· To submit a question, enter your name. Click Login and you will be taken through to the web chat page.
· The web chat window is at the top of the page. At the bottom of the page is an area for you to submit questions.
· To submit a question, simply type in your question.
· Click Send to submit.
· Please come back on the day of the web chat a few minutes before it is due to start.
Please note:
· The web chat will be moderated.
