§ Lord BROCKWAYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What conclusions were reached at the conference in London of chemical warfare experts from 22 nations of which the United Kingdom was the host.
§ Lord PEARTThe visitors viewed the site of a former Ministry of Defence pilot plant for producing nerve gas and a civil chemical factory. Discussions were informal but produced a general view that inspections of this type could make a major contribution to verification of a chemical weapons ban; that civil plants can be inspected without jeopardizing commercial security; and that, pending a treaty, such visits are a useful confidence-building measure.
House adjourned at half past six o'clock.