§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask a Question, of which I have given Private Notice, as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the Soviet Government's new attitude and policy at the Geneva Conference, they will make a statement.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, since the publication 492 of the Soviet Aide-Mémoire which was given to President Kennedy in Vienna, discussions have continued in the Geneva Nuclear Tests Conference on points covered in it. There has, I regret to say, been no progress. The Western position has been clearly set out in the United States Government's reply to the Soviet Aide-Mémoire, which was published on June 17, on which the United Kingdom Government were consulted, and with which they are in full agreement. Her Majesty's Government have been working very hard, and for a long time, to try to achieve success in these negotiations, and we are most disappointed that in recent months the Soviet side have not responded, and have, indeed, moved backwards—for example, by introducing the Troika principle into the administrative machinery necessary for inspection. We shall continue to do everything possible to work for a successful outcome to these negotiations, even though the present prospects are clearly not good.
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his reply, and I think that noble Lords in all parts of the House will share his disappointment that the near success of the Nuclear Tests Conference should have been imperilled by the new attitude and policy of the Soviet Government. May I ask the noble Earl three supplementary questions? The first is: Is it still the aim of Her Majesty's Government to achieve at Geneva a permanent test ban treaty, open for signature to all nations, the implementing of which should not be made dependent on securing other agreements in the field of disarmament? The second question is: Is it the desire of Her Majesty's Government that the Geneva negotiations should go on, and that a further effort should be made to persuade the Soviet Government not to persist with what are tantamount to wrecking conditions? And thirdly: In the event of the Conference breaking down, is it the policy of Her Majesty's Government that the West should not be the first to break the existing voluntary moratorium on tests?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, in answer to the first question, it is still the aim of Her Majesty's Government to achieve a test ban treaty open to signature by all nations; and I think the 493 other point which the noble Lord emphasised was that this should be an agreement which is independent of any further action which might be taken in the general field of disarmament. I can answer that question categorically: Yes, that is our intention. That we should make a further effort to achieve an agreement, the answer is also: Yes. Then the noble Lord asked me about the resumption of testing. None of us wants to resume testing, and, indeed, I hope we should not have to do so. But I might just ask the noble Lord to bear in mind that there is no way of checking up whether or not the Russians are testing, and it could be that the West, in certain circumstances, would find themselves at a serious military disadvantage. But, subject to that, we do not want to resume testing.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, do I understand that the last reply of the noble Earl takes into account what has recently been appearing in the Press with regard to the United States' position—interviews with this one or with that one—as if they were considering resuming the tests? Perhaps the Foreign Secretary has later knowledge than we have on the matter.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, nobody wants to resume testing. Although I cannot answer for the United States Government, I am sure this is as true of the United States Government as with our Government. No one wants to resume testing as long as useful discussions continue at Geneva, and it is our intention to keep the Geneva Conference going, and I hope it will not break down. The only thing is that I think it is necessary to enter a caveat that, in certain circumstances, the West might find themselves at a military disadvantage, and I suggest that we keep that in the back of our minds, although, as I have said, none of us wants to resume testing so long as there is the slightest chance of getting agreement.
LORD REAMy Lords, does that mean that we reserve the right to resume tests if we have suspicions that these things are going on in other parts of the world?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I should not like to prophesy too far ahead, and I do not think it is profitable to 494 take it too far for the moment. I am only giving warning that there might be certain circumstances in which the West might find itself at a military disadvantage, and we must bear this in mind, although none of us wishes to resume testing while there is the slightest chance of agreement with the Russians.