Trident is Britain's nuclear weapons system. It was brought into service during the 1990s, and is expected to reach the end of its service life in the 2020s. A replacement for the system is likely to take around 14 years to develop, and the government has said that it will take a decision on this matter before the end of 2006.
The Methodist Church has expressed concern about nuclear weapons for many years. The following statement was issued by the 2006 Methodist Conference: "The Conference opposes replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system and urges the UK Government to take leadership in disarmament negotiations in order to bring about the intention of the Non-Proliferation Treaty for the elimination of all nuclear weapons."
