§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what protests have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and of the United States of America, respectively, regarding the megaton underground tests in Novaya Zemlya and the United States test in the Aleutian Islands;
(2) whether Her Majesty's Government will now protest to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America Government, respectively, regarding the megaton underground tests in Novaya Zemlya and the United States test in the Aleutian Islands.
§ Mr. GodberNo such protests have been made, and none is contemplated. So far as I am aware, no violation of the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, to which the United Kingdom is a party and for which Her Majesty's Government are a depositary Government, was involved in either of these underground nuclear tests. We must recognise that in the absence of a comprehensive test ban countries are not debarred from carrying out underground nuclear tests which they judge necessary to their national security.