HC Deb 05 April 1950 vol 473 cc1177-8
24. Mr. S. Silverman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will arrange to publish as a White Paper the official proposals of the various powers made to the United Nations relating to the international inspection and control of atomic energy and atomic weapons, together with such explanatory comment as has been offered in their support and such other comment as he may think advisable.

Mr. Younger

No, Sir. The reports of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission containing the proposals made by the various Powers, including a full exposition of His Majesty's Government's views, and the records of the meetings of the Commission, at which the views of members were expressed, are all on sale at His Majesty's Stationery Office.

In addition, His Majesty's Government, with the Governments of the United States, France, China and Canada issued a statement on 26th October, 1949, on the six-Power consultations. This statement set out the difference of position between the five Powers on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other and explained why the five Powers supported the "majority proposals" and found the Soviet proposals inadequate. The five-Power statement was published as United Nations document, and is obtainable at His Majesty's Stationery Office or the United Nations London Information Centre.

Mr. Silverman

Does my hon. Friend realise that there are large numbers of responsible people who would like to form their own views upon the originals, and that they have not either the time or the facilities to make the considerable research that would be necessary for them to trace the documents through all the channels to which my hon. Friend refers?

Mr. Younger

I appreciate that all these original documents and the account of the discussions are voluminous, but, the last document to which I referred—the Five-Power statement—is a reasonably concise statement setting out the rival views and the issues at stake, and I think my hon. Friend will find that a fairly convenient form in which to study them.

Mr. Blackburn

But is my hon. Friend aware that even those of us who have been studying this matter as much as we can for five years find it exceedingly difficult to discover exactly where the differences exist? May I ask my hon. Friend to reconsider this matter, because, we ought to make our position quite clear to the whole country?

Mr. Younger

I will certainly consider that, but the last document to which I referred sets out fairly clearly what are the differences.

Mr. Silverman

But does not my hon. Friend agree that the last document to which he referred—though I have no doubt that it was carefully and objectively prepared—nevertheless puts the different views and proposals from the point of view of one side, and that many people—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—would like to see in a readily accessible form the actual proposals and the actual arguments in favour of them—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech:"]—on the part, of, those who made them?