7. Mr. Alan Lee Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on what progress has been made by the International Atomic Energy Agency Advisory Group on the peaceful use of atomic energy.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Peaceful Nuclear Explosions—PNEs—held a successful first meeting on 30th September and 1st October in Vienna. Delegates from 39 countries, including the United Kingdom, attended the meeting and agreed on a comprehensive programme of work. They will meet again next March.
Mr. WilliamsI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. What representations, if any, has he made to the German Government about the export of the uranium enrichment process to Brazil, which is causing some concern, because there is always the possibility that in the long term it might slip over into military uses of atomic energy?
§ Mr. HattersleyI do not want to hypothesise on the possibilities of the one agreement to which my hon. Friend referred, but the entire basis of our policy is the fear that the distinction between "peaceful" and "non-peaceful" is not one that can legitimately be made and the desire to make sure that the difficulties to which my hon. Friend refers do not arise. It is best that I should not deal this afternoon with the specific proposal, but I assure my hon. Friend that the recent meeting and the one to follow are intended to avoid problems of exactly that sort.
§ Mr. Robin F. CookHas my right hon. Friend seen the speech last week by Mr. Eklund, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, appealing to the nuclear weapons States to cease carrying out nuclear tests so as to discourage nuclear proliferation? Will my right hon. Friend make sure that that appeal is considered carefully before a final decision is taken on a future British nuclear test?
§ Mr. HattersleyThat appeal will be considered carefully. My hon. Friend will recall statements already made in the 1572 House on this subject. I have nothing to add to them.