Nuclear Weapons
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Northwood Declaration: 10 July 2025 (UK-France joint nuclear statement), what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of that declaration on UK nuclear operations and cooperation with France.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The United Kingdom and France remain two sovereign nuclear-weapon states. Our respective nuclear forces and decision-making processes are independent, while we each retain the ability to act independently of each other, we can co-ordinate our deterrents should the situation demand it. It will remain the case that only the Prime Minister can authorise the firing of the UK’s nuclear weapons.
Deepening nuclear co-operation between the UK and France improves our ability to work together in times of crisis and strengthens our existing commitments to our Allies in an uncertain and dangerous world. The possibility of coordination between our independent centres of decision-making will enhance deterrence by further complicating the calculations of adversaries.
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