HC Deb 21 January 1987 vol 108 cc880-2
8. Mr. Bright

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Soviets in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Renton

We are aware of reports of use of chemical weapons by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. We regret that independent investigation of reports of use of chemical weapons in that country has not proved possible, but we believe that at least some form of incapacitating agent has been used by Soviet forces there. This underlines the importance of early agreement on a comprehensive and global chemical weapons ban, and, of course, the early withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

Mr. Bright

Bearing in mind the attitude of the Soviet Union towards chemical weapons and the growing concern about their use, especially in the middle east, can any light be shed on some general progress towards the control of those weapons that are especially nasty? Most people certainly believe that it is as important to control chemical weapons as it is to control nuclear weapons.

Mr. Renton

I agree with my hon. Friend that any report of the use of chemical weapons is very disturbing, especially in the middle east, and their use in the Iran-Iraq war. We are slowly making progress in Geneva towards a comprehensive ban on the production and stocking of chemical weapons. My hon. Friend will be aware that the British Government, at that conference last summer, tabled their own initiative on the crucial question of challenge inspection. There is still a great deal of hard pounding to be done about the detail of our proposals and we shall continue to discuss those matters in the weeks and months ahead in the hope of making further progress.

Mr. Ron Brown

While Afghanistan has suffered from black propaganda in the past, which has alleged all sorts of atrocities—many people suffer in a civil war—may I ask the Minister at least to welcome Dr. Najib's ceasefire proposals, which would lead to an early withdrawal of Soviet troops? Will he go further and invite the Afghan leaders to London to discuss and encourage that initiative? If the Minister wants peace, why does he not encourage it?

Mr. Renton

The hon. Gentleman can accuse us of many things, but I do not think that he can accuse us of controlling Jane's Defence Weekly, including the issue of 22 November, which reported the further use of chemical weapons by Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

With regard to the hon. Gentleman's wider point, the Soviet ambassador came to my office yesterday afternoon to discuss the recent proposals surrounding the ceasefire. I made it abundantly clear that we would welcome any move that could lead to the halting of the bitter fighting in Afghanistan over the past seven years. At the end of the day, we trust that those moves will lead to a Government in Kabul who are truly representative of all the Afghan people and not just of the Communist party, and that they will also lead to the early and complete withdrawal of Soviet troops.

Mr. Lawler

When my hon. Friend next meets the Soviet ambassador, will he draw to his attention—indeed, I draw this to the attention of Opposition Members—the experience directly related to me last week by an Afghan refugee of the use of chemical weapons by Soviet forces? When my hon. Friend meets the Pakistan ambassador on his arrival in this country in the next few weeks, perhaps he could discuss with him the level of British aid to Afghan refugees, given that they are still arriving to the tune of about 79,000 a month.

Mr. Renton

I note carefully what my hon. Friend has said. We have contributed many millions of aid to the Afghan refugees over the last six years, and I should like to take the opportunity to express the support that I am sure the whole House feels for the very great effort that Pakistan has made to take Afghan refugees, notably into the North-West Frontier Province, where there are more than 3 million refugees. That is one of the largest settlements of refugees in the world.

Mr. Winnick

As a sponsor of the early-day motion in January 1980 opposing Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan, may I point out to the Minister that I have not changed by view and that I, for one, am very pleased that what the Russians have done in that country has not succeeded? If the new Soviet leadership wants to show good faith, it should withdraw completely from Afghanistan, but does the Minister agree that it is somewhat odd for people who defended and justified the Suez aggression and what the Americans did in Vietnam to be critical of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan?

Mr. Renton

I am pleased to find myself in unusual agreement with the hon. Gentleman on the first part of his question. Perhaps he will make his point of view better known to his hon. Friends further down the Benches so that they, too, may have an unusual alliance. I agree that it is extremely important that the Soviet troops should withdraw totally as part and parcel of the movement towards a genuinely representative Government in Kabul. On the second part of his question, I do not agree with him. I cannot see any analogy in what he says. Let me remind him that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan has caused 5 million people to leave that country. There has been no such exodus of refugees elsewhere in recent times. That is one reason why we look very much at the moment for a total withdrawal of the Soviet troops.