HC Deb 25 April 1984 vol 58 cc497-8W
32. Mr. Chapman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report progress at the various disarmament conferences including the mutual balanced force reduction talks in Vienna and the Geneva negotiations relating to chemical weapons.

Mr. Luce

We warmly welcome the tabling at the conference on disarmament in Geneva on 18 April of the United States draft treaty banning chemical weapons. We hope this will lead quickly to a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, stockpiling and use of such weapons. At the mutual and balanced force reductions talks in Vienna the West tabled a new initiative on 19 April. This offers a fresh opportunity to resolve the data question and we hope the East will respond favourably in the next round beginning on 24 May. I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 21 March on the Stockholm conference—which resumes on 8 May—and on the INF and START talks.

44. Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arms control problems he discussed when he recently met Mr. Kornienko.

Mr. Luce

My right hon. and learned Friend discussed a number of arms control issues, including mutual and balanced force reductions, the Stockholm conference on disarmament in Europe, and chemical weapons. He expressed the strong hope that nuclear arms control negotiations should be resumed as soon as possible. The Soviet response was disappointing.

45. Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs when he last met the other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation foreign ministers to discuss disarmament.

Mr. Luce

My right hon. and learned Friend last met all his NATO colleagues on the eve of the opening of the Stockholm conference in January 1984. The most recent North Atlantic Council Ministerial meeting, when it discussed arms control among other issues, was in Brussels on 8–9 December 1983: It is due to meet again in Washington at the end of May.

47. Mr. Waller

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress at the Stockholm disarmament conference.

Mr. Luce

I have nothing to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) on 21 March at column 454.