§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is delaying the immediate cessation of thermo-nuclear tests; and what extent of effective international control is being sought by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreThe proposals for a Partial Disarmament Agreement, put forward by Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of Canada, France and the United States, which provide for nuclear tests to be suspended immediately upon the entry into force of the Agreement, have been rejected by the Soviet Government. Her Majesty's Government have repeatedly made it clear that they cannot accept an unconditional suspension of tests in advance of a Partial Disarmament Agreement containing balanced and inter-related provisions for conventional and nuclear disarmament, and particularly for the cessation of production of fissile material for weapons.
Her Majesty's Government consider that international control of the suspension of nuclear tests, to be effective, should include arrangements for inspection posts with scientific instruments to be located within the territories of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, the area of the Pacific Ocean and at such other places that may be necessary. The Soviet Government have accepted this principle, but have refused to agree that experts should meet to work out the practical problems of designing an inspection system.