HC Deb 09 June 1982 vol 25 cc199-200
10. Mr. Chapman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Nations second special session on disarmament.

Mr. Pym

The meeting opened in New York on 7 June. The general debate will last until 23 June. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister plans to speak on 16 June. The Government intend to play a full and constructive role at the special session, which they hope will give fresh impetus to current negotiations for arms control and disarmament.

Mr. Chapman

I welcome the Prime Minister's attendance at this most important conference. How many Prime Ministers, or equivalents, of other major nations will be participating? Can my right hon. Friend reassure the House that the Government will bring forward fresh initiatives at the conference, designed to promote balanced multilateral disarmament, which our people earnestly crave?

Mr. Pym

I am not aware of the arrangements made by other Governments and I do not know who will be speaking on their behalf. The need to bring forward new initiatives is on our minds constantly. The top priority is to concentrate on making progress, and if possible to reach agreement, in the negotiations on disarmament that are already under way or about to begin. I refer to MBFR, intermediate nuclear force talks and strategic arms reduction talks. I am sure that progress should be made in those talks. That is the top priority before starting anything new. However, it is always in our minds to be ready, if we believe it helpful, to propose fresh possibilities for negotiation. We must all hope that the existing discussions will make further progress.

Mr. George Robertson

Is the Secretary of State aware that millions of people in this country and other countries hope for a positive outcome from the second special session on disarmament? Surely it would have strengthened the Government's hand if, in putting forward their proposals to the special session, they had sought the support of right hon. and hon. Members for the detailed proposals. Surely it is still not too late for the Government to ask the House to express a view on those proposals as well as any proposals that the Government might feed into the new strategic arms reduction talks that are about to start.

Mr. Pym

I do not think that anyone is in any doubt that the whole House and all the British people wish progress to be made in arms reduction talks. The trouble is that over the past 20 years or more no progress has been made. Unfortunately, what we have witnessed on the other side of the Iron Curtain is a sustained build-up of arms. It takes two to reach an agreement and two to negotiate a verifiable agreement to reduce arms, but that remains our objective. It clearly was the objective of the Labour Government. I do not think that we need a debate or need to take any soundings about that to know what people want.