§ LORD BROCKWAYMy 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 have protested to the Government of the Republic of France, on behalf of British colonial territories in the Pacific, against the projected explosion of a hydrogen bomb of megaton strength above Muroroa; whether they will initiate common action with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand on this matter; and whether representations have been made regarding the current Russian rocket tests in the Pacific involving the daily exclusion of ships and planes from the test area until the end of the year.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)My Lords, the French Government are well aware of our views. We hope that France, in common with other countries that have not done so, will in due course accede to the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 which prohibits nuclear testing in the atmosphere. It is not therefore necessary to take common action with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.
Her Majesty's Government have not made representations about the current Soviet rocket tests. It is a recognised practice of countries from time to time to announce danger areas for such purposes on and above the high seas.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I welcome back the Minister and apologise for interrogating her so early? Is the Minister aware of the depth of feeling 1404 in New Zealand and Australia, as indicated by the announcement by the New Zealand Prime Minister that he will send frigates into the area with Cabinet Ministers on board, and a rather surprising endorsement of that by the temporary Prime Minister of Australia? Does this not show that if we wish to associate with New Zealand and Australia we should act with them in this matter?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, we voted for a resolution sponsored by New Zealand, Australia and Fiji at the United Nations which called for the suspension of all atmospheric nuclear tests, and in that way we took action with them.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, in regard to the second Dart of the Question, may I ask whether the Russian decision is not a repudiation of the freedom of the seas and of the air; and is this not a serious matter which our Government should take up?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, I understand that international legal opinion tends to regard that particular practice as not unlawful by virtue of customary observance.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, did we hear the Minister aright in her first Answer when she said that it was because we hoped that France would sign the Test Ban Treaty that we were not taking common action with Australia and New Zealand? If so, what is the ground for the Government's hope that France will do that?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, we have no particular grounds for knowing that the French will immediattely accede to the Test Ban Treaty; but we took common action with New Zealand and Australia at the United Nations, and so far as we are aware France has not confirmed those particular tests.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, we are all grateful for the Answer given by the noble Baroness. We are aware of her humane attitude to these problems and of the difficulties that we all are in over this problem of the explosion of nuclear weapons. Would she not suggest, 1405 as a magnanimous gesture of the Western world, that instead of exploding its weapons in the Pacific Ocean and destroying the food and life of some of the people there, we use the Atlantic Ocean for a change?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, having just returned from a certain area of the Atlantic Ocean (and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Brockway for welcoming me back) I do not think, despite the difficulties, that I would go quite so far as has been suggested.
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, would not the noble Baroness agree that it is extremely unlikely that the Government of France will accede to the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963? Can she tell us whether Her Majesty's Government have made any representations to the French about this latest in the series of nuclear tests in the Pacific?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, we have not made any specific representations because, as I said in my original Answer, our views are well known and because the French Government have not yet confirmed that these tests are to take place. If there were any question of tests taking place, we should certainly do as we have done in the past—consult the French authorities—because we have a duty of health monitoring in relation to our dependencies.