§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy decisions have been taken by Her Majesty's Government on the definition of the phrase "at an early date" in article 6 of the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty, with regard to the process of negotiated nuclear disarmament.
§ Mr. WaldegraveArticle VI of the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons requires the parties to it to pursue negotiations on effective measures connected with nuclear disarmament. Since the United States and the Soviet Union possess between them the overwhelming preponderance of nuclear weapons it is universally recognised that the primary responsibility for negotiations falls to them. The United States and Soviet Union are currently engaged in such negotiations which aim at 50 per cent. reductions in their strategic nuclear weapons.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how his Department was represented, in terms of papers presented or observers sent, at(a) the workshop on the verification of nuclear and conventional arms reductions at St. Bartholomew's hospital medical college from 30 November to 2 December and (b) the international scientists symposium, "Ways out of the Arms Race," at Imperial college of science and technology, in London from 2 to 4 December.
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§ Mr. WaldegraveA member of the arms control and disarmament research unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office attended both the workshop on the verification of nuclear and conventional arms reductions at St. Bartholomew's hospital medical college and the international scientists' symposium at Imperial college as an observer. He was joined by another member of the unit for the symposium.