§ Lord Brockwayasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what grounds they did not reply to the invitations of the UN General Assembly to state their views on (1) the study of the Secretary-General on the relationship between disarmament and development and the request for its mass distribution; (2) the Secretary-General's study on institutional arrangements for disarmament, including the convening of a world disarmament conference; and (3) the Secretary-General's recommendations on the organisation and financing of a World Disarmament Campaign.
§ Lord BelsteadOur views on (I) are contained in the joint reply which the ten member states of the European Community sent to the Secretary-General on the 10th June. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
We did not communicate our views on (2) formally because they had already been made clear by the United Kingdom expert on the study group. The study does not recommend a World Disarmament Conference.
We did not comment in writing on (3) because it would have been premature to do so before the campaign was launched at the Special Session. As my right honourable friend made clear in another place on the 22nd June, much is already being done to inform the public about disarmament in Britain and in other countries which enjoy freedom of information and debate.