HL Deb 01 June 1965 vol 266 cc1022-3

2.44 p.m.

LORD BROCKWAY

My 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 it remains their policy to insist upon on-site inspection of nuclear tests as a condition of a Test Ban Treaty, in view of the new technique of using arrays of 100 seismographs for checking such tests.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD WALSTON)

My Lords, I would refer my honourable friend to the statement which my right honourable friend the Prime Minister made in another place on March 16. The advances in seismological research do not permit us to identify the nature of all underground events without on-site inspections, but the number of these inspections probably need not be as large as was previously thought necessary.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that reply, may I ask whether he is aware that there has been considerable development since March 16? Would he, for example, like to comment on the statement made by Sir John Cockcroft, a former Director of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and a member of my honourable friend's own Advisory Panel on this subject, that even small underground explosions can be detected, with an accuracy of 10 kilometres, at a range of 7,000 miles?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, the developments to which my noble friend has referred are being studied very closely at the present time. It is our hope that as a result of these developments it may well be possible to reduce the number of on-site inspections. It is only right, however, to point out that there are still certain things which cannot be distinguished by these methods; it is clearly a highly technical matter which requires close study by the technical people themselves.

LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, for the sake of accuracy, am I not right in thinking that there is in force a Test Ban Treaty which was signed by the last Government?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, the noble Lord is perfectly correct in thinking that that is so.

LORD BROCKWAY

Yes, but may I ask my noble friend if it is not also the fact that this Test Ban Treaty does not apply to underground explosions?

LORD WALSTON

That also is perfectly correct.