§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in international discussions in recent years to prohibit the use of chemical and biological weapons in war; and what are the major problems still unresolved.
§ Mr. LuceThe 1972 biological weapons convention prohibits the development, production and stockpiling of bacteriological and toxin weapons, and provides for the destruction, or diversion to peaceful purposes, of such weapons.
The conference on disarmament in Geneva is continuing its efforts to negotiate a ban, applied worldwide, prohibiting the development, production and use of chemical weapons. However, provisions for adequate verification remain among the key issues to be resolved. To stimulate progress in the negotiations, on 14 February I tabled at the conference on disarmament the latest in a series of British proposals on verification.