§ 47. Mrs. Castleasked the Prime Minister when, and where, the British hydrogen bomb is to be exploded.
§ The Prime MinisterIt would not be in the public interest for me to answer this Question.
§ Mrs. CastleWill the Prime Minister tell us why the Government are being so "cagey" about this? Is it because the Government know that there is nowhere where we can explode this bomb without endangering the people of other countries by the extensive effects of the fall-out of the bomb? That being so, will we not at least take the lead in trying to get international agreement to abolish these tests?
§ The Prime MinisterThe question was whether I could give any information about our intention and the answer is that I cannot, and the hon. Lady's Question will not lead me to do so.
§ Mr. BellengerWould it be in the public interest for the right hon. Gentleman to tell the House what the experiment is costing the country in money?
§ Mr. OsborneThe party opposite did not tell us in 1950.
§ The Prime MinisterI was trying to refrain from making that retort.
§ 48. Mrs. Castleasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the facts which have come to light about the radioactive fall-out of the new uranium bomb, he will propose at the Geneva Conference next month the calling of an international conference of scientists to discuss the long-term effects of continuing nuclear explosions.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mr. P. Noel-Baker) on 16th June.
§ Mrs. CastleIs it not absurd to argue, as the right hon. Gentleman has done in 1312 that reply, that there is no value in our co-operating with Russian scientists, when we are already doing that in the World Meteorological Office? Can he not at least get that body to conduct research into pollution of the world's atmosphere by radio-activity?
§ The Prime MinisterI hope that we shall get other answers a little better than we get the weather answers sometimes.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerThe Prime Minister was good enough to say yesterday that he would put a copy of Dr. Libby's recent speech in the Library for the benefit of hon. Members. Would he consider also putting there a recent article by Dr. Lapp, who was formerly one of the chief atomic scientists in the service of the American Commission?
§ The Prime MinisterI should like to look at that suggestion. What I said yesterday was that I would lay in the Library the statement of the Atomic Energy Commission from which, I am informed, Dr. Libby's comments do not greatly differ. I should mention to the hon. Lady that, in reply to the right hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) yesterday, I said that the report of the Medical Research Council would be laid as soon as it became available. It will be laid as a White Paper, and I think that the House will then probably be in a better position to discuss this matter.