HC Deb 18 February 1987 vol 110 c696W
64. Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives the Government have proposed with a view to making progress towards a comprehensive test ban treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Renton

As the hon. Member will be aware from previous parliamentary answers, we have:

  1. (a) tabled a paper in July 1985 on seismic monitoring for a comprehensive test ban;
  2. (b) played a leading role in the work of the ad hoc group of scientific experts at the conference on disarmament (CD); and
  3. (c) together with other Western countries, proposed a mandate for an ad hoc committee on nuclear testing issues at the Geneva CD.

We have also discussed nuclear testing issues with the Soviet Union to explain the difficulties we have with proposals for the immediate resumption of negotiations. We have urged the Soviet Union to agree to the Western mandate at the CD and to pursue the approach to nuclear testing issues agreed at Reykjavik.

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