§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Western proposals at the conference on disarmament include provision for the verification of chemical production by limited companies as well as by state-run concerns.
§ Mr. RentonYes. United Kingdom proposals to this end were tabled at the conference on disarmament in Geneva on 6 March 1985 with full Western support. These provide for controls based on routine, random inspection or data exchange to be applied to all industry, both privately and publicly owned, which manufactures particular chemicals potentially subject to misuse.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to Mr. Gorbachev's most recent proposals on nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonMr. Gorbachev sent a message to the Prime Minister on 15 January setting out the latest Soviet arms control proposals. We are giving these careful consideration in consultation with our allies.