§ 37. Mr. Brooksasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will propose at the United Nations that sanctions be applied against those member States which refuse to become signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
§ Mr. MulleyNo, Sir. Having signed and ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty, we are doing, and shall do, everything we can to persuade those States which have not yet signed to do so. The threat of sanctions, however, would be quite inappropriate in this context.
§ Mr. BrooksIs it not a waste of time having a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty when leading States, such as the 933 two leading members of the European Economic Community, apparently find themselves unable to sign?
§ Mr. MulleyI am naturally concerned to bring the treaty into effect with as many members as possible, but the method suggested by my hon. Friend would be totally inappropriate to achieve that. As to the two States he mentioned, France made it clear that she would not sign but would behave as if she had. Being a nuclear Power, she would not be restricted in the way that non-nuclear Powers are restricted. The German Government are, I understand, still considering the position.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIs it not time that the right hon. Gentleman tried to explain to his hon. Friends and, indeed, to his right hon. Friends that from long experience it is evident that the only effect of the application of sanctions is to expose the fatuity of those who try to apply them?
§ Mr. MulleyNo, I do not accept the general proposition put by the hon. Gentleman, but I would agree that this issue that we are discussing would be inappropriate for sanctions.