Nuclear Disarmament (Hansard, 5 May 1982)

§ 6. Mr. Norman Atkinson
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support any meeting between President Reagan and President Brezhnev with a view to assisting nuclear disarmament.

§ Mr. Pym
Yes, Sir. We support any direct contact between the Heads of the Governments of the two major nuclear Powers which seems likely to promote agreement on balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear arms levels.

§ Mr. Atkinson
Does the Foreign Secretary agree that the current situation demonstrates just how precarious world peace is? Therefore, does he recognise that now is the time for him to exert leadership in Europe by mobilising opinion among our friends on the Continent behind the early commencement of the strategic arms reduction talks, a possible October meeting between President Brezhnev and President Reagan, and to go all out to ensure the success of those talks in the way that he is now suggesting?

§ Mr. Pym
Yes, we are strongly in support of those talks. They will have our full support, but they are primarily for the two super Powers. The instability in the world at the moment and the issue that is occupying so much time in the House demonstrate the need for deterrence, which means an adequate capability to deter anyone from going to war in the first place. That is a very important element. That is why in arms control it is important that reductions, which everybody wants, should be balanced and verifiable.

§ Mr. Chapman
Does my right hon. Friend know whether it is the intention of Presidents Reagan and Brezhnev to attend the United Nations second special session on disarmament in June? Does he agree that that is the appropriate forum in which the two Presidents can put forward constructive proposals for balanced multilateral disarmament? Does my right hon. Friend also welcome the fact that our Prime Minister will be attending those talks?

§ Mr. Pym
I understand that the President of the United States has indicated his readiness to go. We do not yet know about President Brezhnev. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has indicated her intention to be present. I hope that that answers my hon. Friend's question.

§ Mr. George Robertson
Is the Secretary of State aware of the strength of support on the Labour Benches for the sort of summit meeting that is being talked about here? May we hope that Her Majesty's Government, during the important preparatory sessions for such a summit meeting, will use their influence to make sure that major initiatives are taken to reduce the present level of armaments in the world?

§ Mr. Pym
Yes, we shall certainly take all those important points fully into account. At the same time, we must appreciate that the build-up of arms on the other side of the Iron Curtain still continues, and we have to be sure all the time that we have the capability and the equipment with which to negotiate. If we were not adequately protected, and if our deterrence were not adequate, there would be little incentive for those on the other side of the Iron Curtain to negotiate with us. We have very much in mind the points that the hon. Gentleman has made.