Congratulation to Nuclear Free Local Authorities on Vote to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

That the Parliament congratulates Nuclear Free Local Authorities on its annual general meeting vote to call for the abolition of UK nuclear weapons and the redirection of resources to support the development of public services and tackle climate change that was passed unanimously on 7 December 2006; notes that the resolution agreed with the report of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, Weapons of Terror, which stated that “Nuclear, biological and chemical arms are the most inhumane of all weapons. Designed to terrify as well as destroy, they can, in the hands of either states or non-state actors, cause destruction on a vastly greater scale than any conventional weapons, and their impact is far more indiscriminate and long-lasting. So long as any state has such weapons - especially nuclear arms - others will want them. So long as any such weapons remain in any state's arsenal, there is a high risk that they will one day be used, by design or accident. Any such use would be catastrophic”; agrees with the report’s statement that “Governments and relevant intergovernmental organizations and non government actors should commence preparations for a World Summit on disarmament, non-proliferation and terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction to generate new momentum for concerted international action”, and therefore supports Nuclear Free Local Authorities’ call for the Westminster Government to (a) give support to a world summit, (b) signal its resolve to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime by terminating any further work on a replacement for Trident and (c) announce an early date to withdraw the Trident fleet from active service and shares its support for all lawful campaign action in the United Kingdom to secure support for no Trident replacement and its support for the work of international Mayors for Peace and endorses its 2020 Vision campaign that calls for international agreement by 2010 on a nuclear weapons convention to dismantle nuclear weapons by 2020.