§ 4.0 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, before we proceed any further with the debate, I hope your Lordships will forgive me if I intervene in order to make a statement which is being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister. It relates to a certain aspect of defence.
In the Statement on Defence, 1955, Her Majesty's Government announced their intention to manufacture thermo-nuclear weapons. As I have previously stated, the holding of tests is an essential part of the process of providing ourselves with such weapons. The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have already held such tests, and Her Majesty's Government have decided to carry out a limited number of nuclear test explosions in the megaton range. These will take place during the first half of 1957 in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. The explosions will take place far from any inhabited islands and the tests will be so arranged as to avoid danger to persons or property. The tests will be high air bursts which will not involve heavy fallout. All safety precautions will be taken in the light of our own knowledge and of experience gained from the tests of other countries. The main base of the aircraft of the Royal Air Force taking part will be Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean, and meteorological facilities will be installed there. The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have agreed to make available to the task force 787 various forms of aid and ancillary support from Australian and New Zealand territory.
In reaching this decision Her Majesty's Government have given full weight to the anxiety which exists about the indefinite continuance of tests of nuclear weapons without control and without limitation. I emphasised on the 6th of December last year in the House that Her Majesty's Government were prepared to discuss methods of regulating and limiting test explosions which take account of their position and that of other Powers. This remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government and we shall seek every opportunity to put it into effect.
§ 4.3 p.m.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Marquess for his courtesy in making this statement in your Lordships' House after it has been made by the Prime Minister in another place. Of course the whole of this statement arises—I think that is clear from the way in which it has been made—out of the great amount of public anxiety which has been expressed from time to time as to the effect of these thermo-nuclear test explosions. We know that there have been complaints from other countries in the world whose populations have been affected, not always directly on the day of the test explosions but sometimes by the actual effect of such explosions at other times. Considerable pressure has been put upon Governments to try to come to some arrangement about these explosions. It seems to me that there have been two methods of approach to Governments. One has been to seek to stop these test explosions altogether, and the other has been to endeavour to have regulations drawn up and entered into, with regard to control, by the countries concerned.
I should like, with my colleagues, to consider this statement in a little more detail after to-day. But now I wish to 788 ask the noble Marquess this question. The last part of the statement which he has just made refers to the fact that as far back as December 6—that is six months ago—the Prime Minister or someone else in another place, I will not say promised, but said, that Her Majesty's Government were prepared to discuss methods of regulating and limiting test explosions; and the noble Marquess says that this remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government, May I ask, first, whether in the intervening period of six months any approach has been made by Her Majesty's Government to other Powers with a view to setting on foot negotiations of this kind? Alternatively and secondly, is it the specific intention of Her Majesty's Government to go on with the number of explosions they think to be necessary prior to any such negotiations, either for regulation and control or for bringing them to an end?
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, as the House will know, in March last there was an Anglo-French proposal on disarmament which included proposals with regard to the limitation of tests of this kind, and I understand that the Disarmament Commission is going to meet in New York within the next few weeks. I am sure the noble Viscount will agree that that is the proper place for these matters to be further explored.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHI do not think that that quite answers my whole point. Is it intended by the Government, if there are no such effective conversations, to go on with the experiments?
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThat also is a matter to be considered in the light of what happens in these discussions. I do not think the noble Viscount or anyone else will expect us to give up necessary test explosions; because, after all, Parliament has approved that there should be a bomb, and it is not the slightest good approving the existence of a bomb unless you try it out and see whether it goes off.