In a significant development, Britain on Monday said it has lifted six-year-long ban on export of sensitive nuclear technology to India for civilian purpose.

“Since March 2002 UK policy has been to refuse all licence applications for Trigger List items to India,” Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell said. 

‘That policy has now changed and we will now consider on a case by case basis licence applications for peaceful use of all items on the NSG Trigger List and NSG Dual-Use List when they are destined for IAEA safeguarded civil nuclear facilities in India,’ Rammell told the House of Commons in a written statement.

Firms had been barred from supplying equipment and material on the Nuclear Suppliers Group ‘trigger list’ to India since 2002 but the change in the Government’s position follows an NSG statement in September allowing an exemption from the group’s guidelines for civil nuclear facilities, which are safeguarded by the IAEA.

The ban will remain in force on items destined for ‘unsafeguarded nuclear fuel cycle or nuclear explosive activities’ or where there is an ‘unacceptable risk’ the material might be diverted to those activities.

‘We will continue to encourage contacts between UK nuclear scientists, academics and those working in or with the UK nuclear industry with their Indian counterparts, except where we consider that such contacts might be of assistance to the weapons-related aspects of its nuclear programme. 

‘Where such contacts involve the transfer of technology, which require export licences we will continue to consider applications for such licences on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the provisions of UK export control legislation,’ Rammell said.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed at a meeting in Vienna  on September 6 to waive its rules for India, which refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty.