§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in the discussion with the Soviet Union on arms reductions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThe United Kingdom fully supports the latest United States proposals put forward at the Geneva negotiations, which, with their earlier proposals of 1 November, provide a sound basis for agreement. The immediate Soviet response has been disappointing.
At the talks on mutual and balanced force reductions in Vienna, the East have regrettably failed to match their 233W words with serious deeds, by reviving old and inadequate verification proposals in their negative reaction to the constructive Western proposal of December 1985.