§ 14. Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the chemical weapons convention.
§ 27. Sir Peter Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress there has been in the Geneva negotiations on chemical weapons.
§ Mr. LuceThe conference on disarmanement in Geneva, which is negotiating a convention banning the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, resumed on 12 June. During the last, spring, session, useful progress was made. On 14 February I put forward proposals on challenge inspection. On 21 February the Soviet Union accepted the principle of continuous on-site inspection. On 18 April the United States tabled a draft treaty, which we warmly welcomed. We intend to use the present session to press for the earliest possible progress towards the conclusion of an agreement.