HC Deb 14 December 1953 vol 522 cc14-5
32. Mr. Beswick

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the principal outstanding points of difference between the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the proposals originally placed before the United Nations Atomic Energy Committee by Mr. Baruch on behalf of the United States of America

Mr. Selwyn Lloyd

As my right hon. Friend informed the House on 17th November, Her Majesty's Government stand by the United Nations majority plan, in which the Baruch proposals were embodied, until something better or no less effective is devised. The Soviet Union voted against the United, Nations plan and made counter-proposals which we and the majority of the United Nations considered unacceptable. In particular, we considered, and still consider, that without carefully worked out safeguards such as those in the United Nations plan there can be no real security.

The system proposed by the Soviet Union would be insufficient to guarantee against clandestine production of atomic weapons and, under the Soviet proposals, the operations of the control organ would be subject to the veto in the Security Council, which is entirely unacceptable to us.

Mr. Beswick

Although the right hon. and learned Gentleman talks about effective safeguards it really is a question of defining what is considered a safeguard. As this matter has now become extremely complicated and difficult to follow and a good many amendments have been made to the original plan put forward by Mr. Baruch, would it be possible to lay a White Paper before the House stating what the position now is?

Mr. Lloyd

I think it would be much more useful to get down to the practical discussion of the safeguards at the Disarmament Commission. As the hon. Gentleman will know, a suggestion has been made that a sub-committee of that Commission should be set up, which, if established, should meet in private. I think that that is the place where we should try to carry forward what, I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman, is a matter vital to the peace of the world.

Mr. Beswick

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the Foreign Secretary said two weeks ago that the Soviet Union had not treated this proposal seriously, and that a statement of that kind is rather unfortunate if we are seriously trying to get agreement with them? Will he not agree that it is necessary that the public should understand the point of view of the various sides to this discussion?

Mr. Lloyd

As a matter of fact that has been done in the Report of the Atomic Energy Commission, but I will certainly consider whether other methods can be taken to publicise the matter.

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