§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his statement, 27 October, column 211, what further moves he would like the USSR to make if he is to have confidence in its commitment to a chemicals weapons ban; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House on 27 October at column 211, the recent visit by conference on disarmament participants to 339W the Soviet chemical weapons facility at Shikhany, was a welcome, albeit limited, step. However, it was only in April this year that the Soviet Union, which has a very substantial chemical warfare capability, admitted publicly for the first time that it possessed chemical weapons. In order to have confidence in the Soviet Union's commitment to a chemical weapons ban, we shall need far greater openness on their part about their stockpiles of, and production facilities for, chemical weapons. I understand the United States and USSR have discussed the possibility of bilateral exchanges of information on chemical weapons. Such a development would help to give the USSR the opportunity to demonstrate the increased openness we are seeking on their part.