§ 61. Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent developments there have been regarding the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the negotiation of a comprehensive test ban treaty.
§ 63. Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning the latest developments in negotiating a nuclear test ban treaty.
§ Mr. RentonWe welcome the meetings of United States and Soviet experts to discuss nuclear testing issues. As the hon. Member will be aware one of the principal subjects for discussion at these meetings has been the question of verification associated with the ratification of the threshold test ban and peaceful nuclear explosion treaties. This underlines the importance of verification issues in seeking ways forward on nuclear testing constraints. The search for progress towards a comprehensive test ban treaty remains part of our overall arms control policy.
We also very much welcome the ideas put forward by President Reagan in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September. The practical, step by step, approach implicit in President Reagan's statement is fully consistent with the views of the authorised Government. Accordingly we also welcome the apparant agreement at the Reykjavik summit by the Soviet Union to this sort of approach.