§ Mr. LANSBURY(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement on the position of the Disarmament Conference with respeot to the British proposal to retain aerial bombardment for police purposes in certain outlying regions, and whether the Government propose to reconsider this question in view of the objections raised?
Mr. BALDWNThe policy of His Majesty's Government in this matter was arrived at after full consideration. It was communicated to the House last November in Command Paper 4189, and has recently been restated by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at Geneva.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI am much obliged for the information which the right hon. Gentleman has already given, and which 1718 is known to us all; but will he answer the last part of my question, whether in view of what has happened at Geneva there is any intention to reconsider the matter, particularly in view of the fact that the abolition of aerial warfare may not take place because of the attitude taken up by the British Government?
§ Mr. BALDWINI do not think that that assumption is necessarily true, but the House cannot expect the Government to change a policy deliberately arrived at because objection has been taken to it. The obvious course for the Government is to explain their reasons and meet objections, and that is what we are trying to do at Geneva.
§ Mr. LANSBURYYes, but the House and the country are suffering from the tact that we only gather from the newspapers what the Government's spokesmen are saying on these matters. What we want clearly answered is the question whether the attitude taken up by His Majesty's Government is an attitude which allows of no further reconsideration of this matter, even if it means wrecking the Conference on this particular point?
§ Mr. BALDWINI am not going to consider so hypothetical a question as the wrecking of the Conference. I have stated the position as it exists very clearly, and I have nothing to add to it.