European Union (Hansard, 24 November 1993)

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish a consolidated version of the treaty of Rome, as amended by the treaty of European Union, either together with or separate from the remaining parts of that treaty.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
A consolidated text of the treaty of Rome incorporating the amendments made by the treaty on European Union was published in theOfficial Journal of the European Communities (C244 Volume 35) on 31 August 1992. It has been available through HMSO outlets since that time. We have no present plans ourselves to publish a consolidated version of the treaty.

§ Mr. Gapes
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the ways in which the United Kingdom has sought to honour its obligations under article VI of the non-proliferation treaty.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
We have already announced significant reductions in our sub-strategic nuclear capability, including ending our role in deployment of Lance missile and nuclear artillery in Europe, ending our maritime tactical nuclear capability and a reduction of about 50 per cent. in the number of our nuclear free-fall bombs. In addition my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 16 November that each Trident submarine would carry no more than 96 warheads compared with the previous intention to carry no more than 128, and that the actual number might be significantly fewer. We believe that a comprehensive test ban and a convention prohibiting the production of fissile material for weapons purposes could, if widely applicable and effectively verifiable, make a valuable contribution to non-proliferation and we have made clear that we are prepared to work for the conclusion of such agreements.

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards countries seeking to develop and deploy nuclear weapons for their own national self-defence.
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§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
A total of 157 countries have already committed themselves to non-nuclear weapon status by acceding to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as non-nuclear weapon states. We look to these states to honour their obligations under the treaty. We continue to urge the remaining 28 non-parties to the treaty to accede at the earliest possible date.

§ Mr. Chisholm
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's attitude to the non-aligned movement's resolution on the legality of nuclear weapons submitted this month to the Disarmament Committee of the United Nations General Assembly.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
The resolution was, in the end, not put to a vote. We believe anyway that the use of nuclear weapons would have to be judged as lawful or not in the light of the particular circumstances in which they were used and that therefore it would be wrong to burden the International Court of Justice with this hypothetical question.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means the declaration on the entry into force of the treaty on European Union made by the General Council of the European Community has been officially published and publicised in the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
A copy of the declaration made by the European Council on the entry into force of the treaty on European Union has been deposited in the Library of the House, as has a copy of the report of the General Affairs Council on implementation of the treaty.

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Scretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he intends to implement the common foreign and security policy of the European Union in the interest of the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
We will work with other member states to build on European political co-operation and ensure that intergovernmental co-operation under the common foreign and security policy works effectively. We will continue to press for an active common foreign and security policy in areas in which member states have important interests in common.