HC Deb 15 May 1972 vol 837 cc26-7
23. Mr. Booth

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government, having rejected the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Government's draft treaty on the abolition of the means of waging chemical warfare, will submit a British draft to the Geneva Conference.

Mr. Godber

Chemical weapons were a major subject of discussion in the recent session of the conference of the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva. The committee is giving the most serious attention to the questions involved in prohibiting these weapons. It is the strongly held view of many delegations, including our own, that the next step should be expert technical discussions on means of solving the difficulties of definition and verification in a way which would satisfy the requirements of all countries involved.

Mr. Booth

Is it not important that Britain should be seen to favour the widest possible agreement to contain the manufacture, testing and use of these weapons? Could not this usefully be achieved by our proposing a draft to the Geneva Conference? If such an agreement could be reached, it would be not only extremely beneficial but would improve the chances of reaching East-West agreement in Europe for European security.

Mr. Godber

I have given very close attention to this matter. I visited the Geneva Conference just before it went into recess. I have looked at this matter very carefully. We were very glad to support the initiative taken by the previous Government in regard to biological weapons and to bring that to a conclusion. There are other very difficult aspects about chemical weapons, and we are seeking to find ways to solve them. We thought that a meeting of experts would be the best way at this stage, although I do not rule out tabling some text at a later stage if this is appropriate.

Mr. Peter Archer

I appreciate the technical difficulties. Would it not be an earnest of good will on the part of the United Kingdom Government if they now stated unequivocally their acceptance that the Geneva Convention extends to CS gas?

Mr. Godber

The hon. and learned Gentleman raised this point before, and I and others have had to explain to him the complications and problems arising in this matter. I cannot add to the matter at the moment.