Nuclear pledge 'only first step'

The agreement to scrap nuclear weapons has been welcomed

The UK's Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, has warned against expecting the new superpower nuclear arms deal to result in a widescale destruction of weapons any time soon.

The US, Russia, China, France and UK have all given an "unequivocal" undertaking to scrap their nuclear arsenals, but set no timetable.

The deal is also dependent on every other nuclear weapon state agreeing to take the same action.

"I think realistically it is unlikely to lead to action tomorrow, next week or next month", Mr Hoon told BBC1's Breakfast With Frost programme.

I think realistically it is unlikely to lead to action tomorrow, next week or next month

Geoff Hoon

The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan regards the deal as "a significant step forward in humanity's pursuit of a more peaceful world free of nuclear dangers".

But Mr Hoon said of the pledge: "What we have agreed there, together with the United States, is that in principle we would like to see the end of nuclear weapons.

"I think every sensible person around the world agrees with that but there is no timetable and it is dependent on every other nuclear weapon state agreeing the same and taking appropriate action."

The arms deal emerged at a key review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York.

Britain, the US, Russia, France and China promised an "unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon states to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals".

Geoff Hoon: cautious over nuclear arms deal

The document also, for the first time, singled out Israel, believed to have nuclear weapons, for not signing the treaty and for not placing its nuclear materials under "comprehensive" international safeguards.

It deplored underground nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in 1998.

Both countries, along with Israel and Cuba, have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Tom McDonald, of the disarmament pressure group Basic, said the agreement "broke new ground in working toward nuclear arsenal reductions and elimination".

He said although the final wording was weaker than they would have liked many had widely discounted any agreement at this conference.