HC Deb 05 March 1968 vol 760 cc225-6
Q3. Mr. Molloy

asked the Prime Minister what progress has been made following his recent meetings with the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics towards a Non-Proliferation Agreement.

The Prime Minister

I discussed the Non-Proliferation Treaty with both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Kosygin during my recent visits. We agreed on the need for early action to complete the Treaty, on which there has recently been encouraging progress. We hope that this will now lead to final agreement on the Treaty in the United Nations in the near future.

Mr. Molloy

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, and appreciating that the non-nuclear Powers will have some guarantee against nuclear attack and nuclear blackmail, may I ask whether my right hon. Friend could say what endeavours are now being undertaken to try to encourage China to sign such a declaration, particularly with regard to the anxiety felt in India and other Asian States?

The Prime Minister

My hon. Friend will not underrate the difficulties of persuading China, and indeed France, to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The first important matter is to get acceptance of it at the 18-Nation Committee at Geneva, and then to get it signed under the ægis of the United Nations. The special position of India, and India's anxieties, are naturally receiving a great deal of attention from all her friends in the 18-Nation Committee.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Does the new draft, in the Prime Minister's view, give the right to countries like India and Germany to produce their atomic energy for peaceful purposes?

The Prime Minister

Certainly for peaceful purposes—I do not think that there can be any question about that. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, there has been some argument about the safeguards and the means of administering them in respect of countries which are members of Euratom, but the right for peaceful purposes is fully protected, while the right to develop for warlike purposes is fully banned.