§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Prime Minister why, in view of Her Majesty's Government's support for multilateral disarmament, the United Kingdom was alone in voting with the United States of America against that United Nations resolution seeking a comprehensive test ban agreement which was supported by 124 member states.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Mexican resolution called for the opening of negotiations for a comprehensive test ban. We do not believe that a ban can be negotiated without a solution to the problem of verification. This problem is under examination in the committee on disarmament in Geneva.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Prime Minister what inquiries she initiated and what action she took, following her reply to an oral question from the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) on 25 February 1982, Official Report, c. 981, concerning press reports of possible military action by Argentina against the Falkland Islands.
§ The Prime MinisterAs the Franks report makes clear, there were a number of reports in the Argentine press in early 1982 referring to the possibility of military action later in the year if the negotiating process were to break down. These were all taken fully into account. The New York talks, which began the day after my hon. Friend asked his question, appeared to go well. Once we learned of the unilateral Argentine communiqué and the hostile press comment, I asked that contingency plans should be made. As the Franks report shows, a good deal of contingency planning was already in hand.