§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what their attitude is towards President Carter's proposal for a comprehensive nuclear test ban.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, we are studying with interest President Carter's recent statements on the importance of achieving a comprehensive test ban. We have consistently stated that the British Government favour such a ban, provided that it contains effective verification provisions and covers peaceful nuclear explosions.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, while appreciating what the Government are doing, may I ask the Minister whether it is the fact that the Soviet Union has now three times stated that it accepts verification and inspection, and is it not now desirable that there should be negotiations to get that in a concrete and definite form?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I agree very much that it would be an excellent thing to get those indications of movement on verification in a concrete and definite form; and, indeed, we welcome the moves made already in that direction by the new American Administration. They propose to talk to the Russians about this, as well as other aspects of disarmament, and I can assure my noble friend that the United Kingdom Government will be in full support of such a move.