§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take the initiative in convening the eighteen-nation Disarmament Committee at an earlier date than at present proposed, namely April next year.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, I should make it clear that, when on Monday I mentioned April next as a tentative date, I was speaking only of the preliminary views of Her Majesty's and the United States Governments. Both the time and the place of the negotiations will have to be fixed by agreement between all the participants. Our Representative at the United Nations has already stated in New York that we would be willing to meet earlier if there was agreement on this. At the same time, however, he pointed out the need for full preparation if the conference is to get off to a satisfactory start.