§ 20. Mr. GRAHAM WHITEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give the names of States which have formally pledged themselves, by treaty or otherwise, to abstain in future from the use in war of asphyxiating or poisonous gases or liquids or similar noxious substances; and the names of States, if any, which have further pledged themselves to co-operate in the prevention by international action of the use of such substances in warfare?
Mr. A. HENDERSONTwenty-seven States have both signed and ratified the Geneva Protocol of the 17th of June, 1925. Nineteen other States have signed, or otherwise acceded to, this Protocol, but have not yet ratified it. I am circulating the names in the OFFICIAL REPORT. All States bound by the Protocol undertake to exert every effort to induce other States to accede to it.
§ Mr. ERNEST BROWNIs Great Britain included in the list?
§ Mr. BROCKWAYIs it the case that, meanwhile, experiments are still being undertaken under the auspices of the British Government in the preparation of fresh poison gases?
§ Following are the names:
§ The following States have both signed and ratified the Geneva Protocol of 17th June, 1925:
- Austria.
- Belgium.
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Canada.
- Australia.
- New Zealand.
- Union of South Africa.
- Irish Free State.
- India.
- China.
- Denmark.
- Egypt.
- Finland.
- France.
- Germany.
- Italy.
- Liberia.
- Persia.
- Poland.
- Portugal.
- Rumania.
- Spain.
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
- Sweden.
- Turkey.
- Venezuela.
- Yugoslavia.
§ The following have signed, or otherwise acceded, but have not yet ratified:
- Abyssinia.
- United States of America.
- Brazil.
- Bulgaria.
- Chile.
- Czechoslovakia.
- Estonia.
- Greece.
- Japan.
- Latvia.
- Lithuania.
- Luxemburg.
- Netherlands (including the Netherlands Indies, Surinam and Curacao).
- Nicaragua.
- Norway.
- Salvador.
- Siam.
- Switzerland.
- Uruguay.
§ 21. Mr. WHITEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any and, if so, what steps have been taken to implement the declaration of the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament of the League of Nations, dated May, 1929, regarding the use in war of asphyxiating or poisonous gases and other noxious substances?
Mr. HENDERSONThe declaration mentioned by the hon. Member forms part of the Draft Disarmament Convention, which was provisionally agreed upon by the Preparatory Disarmament Commission at its meeting in May, 1929. I hope that it will, therefore, be included in the Convention to be drawn up by the Preparatory Commission at its present meeting.