§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to implement those provisions of(a) the Genocide Act 1969, (b) the Geneva Convention Act 1957, (c) the Nuremberg principles, (d) the Geneva protocal 1977 and (e) all other customary and conventional law which would make it an offence to use, or to plan to use, weapons of mass murder; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. WaldegraveWhile the use of certain weapons of mass destruction is controlled or prohibited by international treaty, there is no treaty dealing specifically with the use of nuclear weapons. However, any such use would be governed by the applicable laws of war, as is the case with other weapons. Since the use of nuclear weapons would, according to the circumstances, be lawful, so the deterrent threat of their legitimate use is similarly lawful. The enforcement of the Acts of Parliament referred to is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the proposed referral of the question of the legality of the deployment of nuclear weapons to the International Court of Justice through the United Nations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe are not aware of any proposed referral of this question to the International Court of Justice.
§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department was represented at(a) the International Congress of Scientists in London in April; (b) the conference in Brighton in September of the International Peace Bureau; and (c) the conference in The Hague in September of the International Associations of Lawyers against nuclear arms; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo.