§ Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards a naval negotiation on confidence and security building measures within the conference on security and co-operation in Europe.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThere is most unlikely to be agreement on any naval confidence and security building measures in the current negotiations in Vienna. Informal consultations have now begun on the general shape and content of the arms control process after the Helsinki follow-up meeting in 1992. The possibility of some naval transparency measures is under consideration. We welcome meanwhile the announcement by the United States and Soviet Union that they will withdraw sub-strategic nuclear weapons from their naval forces in normal circumstances and have announced our intention to do the same.