Communique - 4 February 2009
The Working Group on Scotland Without Nuclear Weapons met for the fourth time on February 4, 2009.
The Minister for Parliamentary Business said:
"Today's meeting was interesting and constructive and the Group continues to make good progress. I was particularly fascinated to hear feedback from the international conference on nuclear weapons that took place in Edinburgh yesterday: this had clearly generated lively debate on issues of great significance and I hope that it will be the first of many such conferences to take place in Scotland."
The Group was also interested to note that the UK Government today finally published a strategy on creating the conditions for abolishing nuclear weapons. It welcomed the endorsement of the UK's stated commitment to eventual multilateral disarmament but expressed disappointment that this strategy does not commit the UK to decommissioning its own nuclear weapons.
Mr Crawford added:
"I am sad to see that the UK Government has not grasped the nettle of opportunity this announcement offered to do the right thing and decide not to replace Trident and thus send an important signal of leadership to the international community".