HC Deb 29 October 1952 vol 505 c1916
27. Mr. Noel-Baker

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will lay as a White Paper the Second Report of the United Nations Disarmament Commission, which is to be considered by the General Assembly now sitting in New York.

Mr. Nutting

A copy of this Report, published by the United Nations Secretariat, has been placed in the Library of the House; further copies will shortly be available to the public at Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

The cost of reprinting this document, which contains some 60,000 words, as a White Paper, would be considerable and, since the United Nations edition will shortly be generally available, I do not think this expense would be justified.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Would the hon. Gentleman suggest to his right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary that he should himself take part in the Committee discussions on disarmament at New York and there make it plain to the world that we mean business by the disarmament proposals which we have put forward, that we hope for the total abolition of atomic warfare and of other weapons of mass destruction and for the drastic reduction of manpower if the Russians will agree with reasonable speed?

Mr. Nutting

I will convey the right hon. Gentleman's sentiments to my right hon. Friend.