§ 29. Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about progress and the current positions at the various disarmament conferences.
§ Mr. RentonThe Reykjavik meeting between President Reagan and Mr. Gorbachev on 11–12 October concentrated mainly on the issues at the Geneva nuclear and space talks. The meeting was of value because both sides came so close to agreement. We warmly welcome this, particularly the extent of agreement that proved possible on the elimination of intermediate-range nuclear weapons, and on nuclear testing. However, we regret the Soviet insistence in Reykjavik, in making agreement on all issues including on INF, dependent on their demands on SDI. The meeting was only one step in the long search towards the goal of balanced and verifiable agreements on arms control.
171WThe proposals remain on the table. We are encouraged by the apparent determination on both sides to build on the progress already made. Together with the United States and our allies we will seek to maintain the momentum that has been generated at Reykjavik.
The Stockholm conference on disarmament in Europe in which the United Kingdom played a leading role, concluded satisfactorily on 22 September with agreement, the first in the arms control field since 1979, on a set of measures designed to build confidence and reduce mistrust through increased openness about military activities in Europe.
The 40th round of the mutual and balanced force reduction talks opened in Vienna on 25 September. The west continues to press for a serious eastern response to the innovative western proposal of December 1985.
On chemical weapons the aim remains a complete ban. we hope the British initiative on verification will enable progress towards this end.
§ 51. Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in relation to possible British involvement in the planned Geneva talks on disarmament.
§ Mr. RentonMy right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister and my right hon. and noble Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, both had meetings on 14 October with Mr. Karpov, the chief Soviet negotiator at the Geneva nuclear and space talks. The question of British involvement in those negotiations does not arise. Mr. Gorbachev stated at his press conference in Reykjavik on 12 October that he had agreed with President Reagan that British and French nuclear forces should be completely left out of their bilateral negotiations. He added that these forces should remain independent and could be further increased and improved.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 June, Official Report, column 412, what plans he has to submit to the committee on disarmament a revised and updated version of Her Majesty's Government's CD 610 Paper of July 1985 on verification.
§ Mr. RentonWe have no plans to do so at present. The need for a further United Kingdom paper is kept under review in the light of comments made by others at Geneva.