§ 47. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Prime Minister why he has transferred responsibility for the Porton microbiological research station to the Secretary of State for War.
§ The Prime MinisterThe work of the establishment is not allied exclusively with that of any single Government Department. It was thought best therefore to preserve its administrative links with the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment for which the War Office are now responsible.
§ Mr. HughesDoes not the Prime Minister think that he has made a mistake in not using this opportunity to make it clear to the whole civilised world that Britain does not want anything to do with this hideous form of germ warfare? Can he tell us if the British Army is now to experiment in methods of distributing germs to the civilian populations of other countries?
§ The Prime MinisterOur position is perfectly clear towards both chemical and bacteriological weapons. We are pledged or bound not to use them except in retaliation, but I remember, for instance, that in the Second World War it was necessary for us to prepare methods of retaliation in chemical warfare, and perhaps the fact that we were known to have prepared them had some effect on their not being used.
§ Mr. HughesIs not the Prime Minister aware that the previous reasons for this establishment were to safeguard the health of our civilian population? Does he suggest that we are now going over from that objective in order to have a new kind of horrible deterrent?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. But I was saying that it has proved to be wise to consider both defence and retaliatory powers and that that certainly served us well in the last war.