HC Deb 21 October 1987 vol 120 c768W
43. Mr. Simon Coombs

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about talks on mutual and balanced force reductions.

Mr. Mellor

We continue to take a full and active part in the negotiations on mutual and balanced force reductions in Vienna. Progress has been disappointing owing to the unwillingness of the Warsaw pact to provide adequate data on force levels or to respond to Western proposals on verification. We shall continue to press the Warsaw pact to respond positively to the Western proposal of December 1985 in which we made a constructive attempt to break the long-standing deadlock by offering to accept reductions in United States and Soviet troops before agreement on force levels.

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