§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government intend to complete their programme for testing warheads for Trident before resuming negotiations with the United States and the Soviet Union on a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.
§ Mr. RentonIt would be premature to resume negotiations on a comprehensive test ban while the outstanding problems of verification remain unresolved.
§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth. Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government have made to Mr. Gorbachev's invitation of 27 November for the United Kingdom to join the Soviet Union in a moratorium on nuclear testing, as a prelude to a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.
§ Mr. RentonWe are aware that when addressing the USSR Supreme Soviet on 27 November Mr. Gorbachev expressed the hope that the USA and other nuclear powers would observe a moratorium on nuclear testing. This did not amount to an invitation. We remain committed to seeking balanced, effective and verifiable measures of disarmament. Our experience since the 1950s suggests that moratoria on nuclear testing do not meet those criteria.