§ Mrs. Knightasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether consultations between European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation leading towards the establishment of a collective view on the limitation of nuclear weapons in Europe, as requested in recommendation 372 adopted by the Western European Union Assembly on 1 December 1981 have begun; with what results; whether he expects the progress of such talks to allow the Western European Union Council to acquaint the United States Government with an agreed view; and when.
§ Mr. HurdI have been asked to reply.
In its reply to recommendation 372 the council of the Western European Union drew attention to consultations which already take place in the framework of European political co-operation, the North Atlantic Council and the Special Consultative Group which is the NATO body responsible for discussion of the United States' negotiating position in the Geneva talks on intermediate-range nuclear weapons. European members of the alliance of course make their views known to the United States in the latter two fora and fully support the zero option as the objective of the negotiations.