Middle East: Arms Control (Hansard, 20 February 1991)

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, our policy on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is well known. After the Gulf conflict is over, our aim is to work with others to improve security in the Middle East and to make progress on arms control.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, the noble Lord will no doubt know that the Foreign Secretary discussed a similar question two days ago in another place. To a certain degree, he appeared to be looking ahead positively. Is it the Government's policy, in 544 looking ahead, to plan for on-site inspections of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons throughout the whole of that region? If so, does that mean that the nuclear weapons that we know are held by Israel—which is the only nuclear power in that region—will also be subject to on-site inspections?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, our policy is to work to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We advocate progress by means in particular of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention. As regards Israel's nuclear capability, we believe that all states in the Middle East, including Israel, should sign the non-proliferation treaty and place their nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, does not the noble Lord agree that the Government should be more prudent in authorising the sale of arms to other countries? What is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to the sale of arms? What is the latest position with regard to the Soviet initiative, because these are related matters? Furthermore, has Tariq Aziz returned to Moscow?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot reply to the final question that the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition asked, as I do not have that information. I shall endeavour to address myself to the terms of the Question which concerns the peace settlement after the present conflict in the Gulf is over. As regards arms sales, it is our view that countries must be able to defend themselves and to spend money on arms to maintain their security. However, the concentrations of arms which we have seen in the region give cause for concern. We believe that all arms exporting countries should exercise restraint in arms sales, above all those which could assist the construction of weapons of mass destruction.

§ Lord Beloff
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the obvious desired end, that Israel should be a subscriber to a major arms agreement, is likely to come about only when Israel's neighbours declare that the state of war which has existed between them and Israel since 1948 has come to an end, so following the admirable example of the late lamented President Sadat which has borne such fruit?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the fundamental principles which we hold to with regard to peace in the Middle East is the right of all states in the region, including Israel, to live in security, and with self-determination for the Palestinian people.

§ Lord Mellish
My Lords, is the Minister aware that some of us feel that it would be ludicrous if after all the destruction that has taken place in an effort to put down that man Saddam Hussein at the end of the day he was left with weapons of mass destruction and was allowed to get away with it?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the noble Lord's view will be shared by other people. Our aims in the conflict in the Gulf are well-known and are in pursuit of existing United Nations resolutions.

§ Lord Mayhew
My Lords, what role do the Government foresee for the International Atomic Energy Authority in the post-war Middle East? Can the Minister say whether the agency's inspections have continued in Iraq since the invasion of Kuwait? Finally, why do the Government oppose the extension of those inspections to nuclear facilities in Israel in accordance with Security Council Resolution 487?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, we encourage increased adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which carries with it the obligation to accept IAEA safeguards on all nuclear activities.

§ Lord Campbell of Alloway
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that it is not profitable, or indeed possible, to answer the type of hypothetical question posed by the noble Lord, Lord Hatch? Does he agree that all one can hope for is that after the resolution of the present crisis, arms dealing in the Middle East may be controlled by international agreement, which is always difficult to achieve?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly but not only in the Middle East, gives considerable cause for concern to us and to many others. It is a matter to which we are giving a great deal of thought.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, with reference to the second supplementary question of my noble friend Lord Cledwyn about the movements of Mr. Tariq Aziz and in view of the great interest in the matter, will it help the noble Lord if I tell him that the Soviet Union announced about an hour ago that he had not left Baghdad for Moscow, that he was not expected in Moscow tonight and that the Soviet Union had invited him to give the Iraqi response to the Soviet embassy in Baghdad?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the information which the noble Lord has given may well be of interest to the House, but it remains outside the terms of the Question.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, it may remain outside the terms of the Question but it is nevertheless a matter of such public importance that if the noble Lord has any information he should give it to the House.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I welcome the reply given by the Minister to my first Question, which is a probing question. I also welcome the fact that the Foreign Secretary is already, and rightly, engaging in preparations for the period after the war. However, does the Minister agree that the simple continuation of the non-proliferation treaty as it has been applied so far will not be sufficient to prevent the arming and re-arming of countries in the Middle East and elsewhere? Does he also agree with my noble friend the Leader of the Opposition that the only way to prevent that is to introduce a ban or restrictions on the export of arms so that no weapons of mass destruction can again be accumulated in the region and to ensure that those which already exist are destroyed?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the non-proliferation treaty has served us well. No doubt there are flaws in the existing international arrangements but we must make the best use of what we have.