§ 2. Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in the light of the guidelines recently agreed and published by the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Evan Luard)The Government's policy is to ensure that exports of nuclear material and technology can be used only for peaceful purposes. We have succeeded, with the other 14 members of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, in preparing guidelines which form a minimum agreed standard for this policy. The Nuclear Suppliers' Group will continue, in our view, to have a useful role, under United Kingdom chairmanship, in strengthening international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.
§ Mr. FormanI welcome that statement. Does the Minister agree that all these efforts in the Nuclear Suppliers' Group are little more than a brave but belated attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable? What are the provisions, in the event of a violation of the guidelines, for members to act? Is it a question of unanimity or of carrying along as many suppliers as possible?
§ Mr. LuardI cannot agree that these efforts are of no value. They represent a valuable minimum standard. I hope that we shall see them applied as widely as possible. At present they apply to members of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. They have been notified to the International Atomic Energy Authority and we hope that as many other Governments as possible, including those that may become nuclear Powers in the future, will adopt the same policy for nuclear exports.