HC Deb 18 April 1985 vol 77 cc257-8W
Q78. Mr. Latham

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the policy contribution being made by Her Majesty's Government to the several negotiations currently taking place on disarmament and arms control.

The Prime Minister

We remain in close and regular touch with the United States and our other Allies over the US-Soviet talks in Geneva on nuclear and space arms. We fully support the agreed objective of the talks, which is to work out effective agreements aimed at preventing an arms race in space and ending it on earth, at limiting and reducing nuclear arms and strengthening strategic stability.

The Government also continue to play an active part in the work of the Geneva conference on disarmament, especially the negotiations for a worldwide chemical weapons ban. At the Stockholm conference on disarmament in Europe, we continue to work with our allies for an agreement on practical confidence and security building measures designed to promote military openness which would reduce the likelihood of an outbreak of hostilities in Europe. At the MBFR talks in Vienna, we remain an active participant in negotiations aimed at achieving parity at lower levels of conventional forces in Europe.