§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their evaluation of developments at the fifth review conference in Geneva of the states parties to the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention; and what consequent action they will be taking. [HL1974]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanHer Majesty's Government regret that it was necessary to suspend the Biological Weapons Review Conference as it was not possible to reach a consensus on the continuation of a multilateral negotiating forum. It was agreed that the conference would reconvene in Geneva from 11 to 22 November next year. The United Kingdom will use the intervening period to consult widely with all states parties in order to determine the best way forward. We remain committed to achieving a binding agreement that will reinforce the international norm against biological weapons.