§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the number of countries which either currently possess chemical weapons or are likely to do so before the end of 1989 if international agreement to control or discourage the holding of such weapons is not achieved.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIt is not possible to provide a precise figure. Very few countries provide information on activity in this area. It is believed that between 15 and 20 countries either possess or are actively seeking to acquire chemical weapons.