§ 50. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the failure to secure agreement at the recent meetings of the United Nations Disarmament Commission, he will now make direct proposals to President Eisenhower and Marshal Bulganin for the limitation and eventual abolition of hydrogen bomb tests.
§ The Prime MinisterAs regards limitation of nuclear test explosions, I have already stated that, if progress cannot be made in the context of the disarmament discussions, I do not exclude other methods of discussing this question with those concerned. I have this under consideration.
The banning of nuclear test explosions is another question. The statement of the Soviet Foreign Minister, which has not been formally communicated to us, is being studied. But a ban on tests does not mean that stockpiles of nuclear weapons necessarily cease to exist or to increase. It offers no safeguard against one country acquiring or maintaining an advantage over another. It would be wrong to delude public opinion on this point. This is why we took the initiative, with the French Government, in tabling the comprehensive Anglo-French Disarmament plan. It remains our view that the prohibition of nuclear tests should be linked with prohibition of the manufacture of nuclear weapons.