§ 59. Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what grounds Her Majesty's Government did not support Resolution 2827 of the United Nations General Assembly, which was carried by 101 votes to nil and called for a moratorium on the development, production, and stockpiling of chemical weapons of war.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleResolution 2827B urges all States to undertake, pending agreement on the complete prohibition of possession of chemical weapons, to refrain from any further development, production or stockpiling of the most lethal chemical weapons. The United Kingdom delegation abstained on this Resolution because the moratorium would have been completely unverifiable and it is our policy to seek an adequately verified prohibition of the possession of these weapons. At the same time, it is a fact that this country does not possess, and is not engaged in the production of, these weapons. We hope that those 11W countries which did vote in favour of the Resolution and have not yet given the undertaking which the Resolution calls for will take an early opportunity to do so.