§ 50. Mr. P. Noel-Bakerasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work, progress and functions of the European Nuclear Energy Agency, the statute of which came into force early in 1958.
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal described the purpose of the Agency in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Scotstoun (Sir J. Hutchison) on 4th February. The first joint project to be set up by the Agency will be a chemical separation plant, known as Eurochemic, for processing irradiated fuel elements from reactors. Two other possible joint projects are under discussion, and a Health and Safety Sub-Committee has been set up.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerCan the Prime Minister say why it is desirable to give this limited Agency the duty of inspecting nuclear disarmament when, if nuclear disarmament is ever agreed to, inspection must be the function of the United Nations, as the Government have so often said?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that that is a rather different question which I should not like to answer off-hand. If the right hon. Gentleman would be good enough to table a Question or get in touch with me, I shall do my best to answer him.