HIGH ALTITUDE NUCLEAR TESTS (Hansard, 16 May 1963)

§ BARONESS ELLIOT OF HARWOOD
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM)
My Lords, at my request, the Steering Group on Space Research arranged last autumn for a panel of experts to consider this 1423 question. Their report is published to-day as a White Paper, and copies are available in the Printed Paper Office. A copy of the text has been sent to the United States Government.

§ BARONESS ELLIOT OF HARWOOD
My Lords, I thank my noble and learned friend for his reply. Can he say whether these tests have any harmful result, either on scientific experiments or on other human beings; and if they do, would Her Majesty's Government ask the United States Government to refrain from such experiments?

§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAM
My Lords, as regards the first part of my noble friend's Question, there is, I think, no evidence that they have any harmful effects on human health. Certainly I do not think the Report indicates any. With regard to the effects on scientific experiments, this is what the trouble is about. I do not think there is any doubt about that. The high altitude nuclear test which the panel of scientists was concerned with will have very wide effects upon scientific experiments. What exactly is meant by "harmful effects" in that context is more difficult to define, but it will alter the environment of the earth in such a way as to affect scientific experiments seriously.
Obviously, the question of approaching the United States Government is a difficult one. I had contact with them on more than one occasion on this subject. There is more than one factor that one has to bear in mind. I do not think there is any doubt that scientific opinion in this country deplores—or, at any rate, feels—that tests which can affect the environment of the earth or any scientific experiments of other scientists in different parts of the world are a matter of international concern which requires discussion. On the other hand, a Government of any country is concerned, as well, with national security, and in the present state of disarmament negotiations it is not quite certain how far one can go.
There have, of course, been Russian nuclear high altitude tests, as well, which equally could cause trouble, and I think 1424 one has to face the fact that tests in the high atmosphere or above the atmosphere are one of the consequences of the failure of the Powers to reach a test ban agreement or disarmament agreement; and, in the absence of such an agreement, the most one can do is to make representations when one knows of anything in the air.

§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILL
My Lords, would the noble Viscount agree that Professor Lovell, whom we all admire and respect, has denounced some of these tests in an unqualified manner?

§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAM
My Lords, I think if the noble Lady will read the White Paper she will see exactly what the balance of scientific opinion is. I have never known Professor Lovell say anything which I personally would not go along with, and he certainly has not said anything inconsistent with what I have just said to my noble friend. It is simply the fact that many tests of this kind could, if they were initiated after the result of international discussion between scientists, even be valuable. His complaint has been, I think, that it is a unilateral action on the part of any nation that undertakes tests of this kind which can affect the experiments of other scientists; and, in particular, he complained of something which is outside the scope of the White Paper and of the present Question—namely, of an attempted test which was of quite a different character.
The Question refers to high altitude nuclear tests. The first experiment of which Professor Lovell made a complaint was an experiment called Project West Ford, which consisted in throwing up—or attempting to throw up, because it failed—a number of what the Americans called dipoles but what I prefer to call needles, as a means of making experiments in communications, which is a totally different kind of experiment. This has been repeated in the last few days. But I think, partly as a result of what scientists and others said to the American authorities, there are certain "fail safe" devices attached which have made them a good deal less objectionable.