§ 13. Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he proposes making any changes in Her Majesty's Government's policy of opposition to radiological weapons.
§ Mr. MulleyNo, Sir. Her Majesty's Government's policy remains as set out by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Lamond) on 22nd February 1978.
§ Mr. ClemitsonWill the Secretary of State oppose the increasingly repugnant refinements of radiological weapons?
§ Mr. MulleyThat is the answer that was given on 22nd February. My hon Friend said that not only were we opposed to the development of these weapons but that we favoured a convention prohibiting their production.
§ Mr. George RodgersDoes the Secretary of State agree that there is growing revulsion in this country at the prospect of the enhanced radiation bomb or the neutron bomb being part of the NATO armoury? Will he confirm that his counterpart in the Dutch Government resigned in protest at this possible development? Is he inclined to take sympathetic action?
§ Mr. MulleyIt is important to make it quite clear that there is an absolute distinction between radiological weapons and enhanced radiation weapons. They are quite different. As to the complex circumstances in which the former Dutch Minister resigned, I am not completely informed about these, but I certainly have no intention of resigning over this matter at present.