§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give the reasons why the United Kingdom has not yet ratified the protocols of the Geneva convention signed on 8 June 1977.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy hon. Friend is probably referring to the issue of ratification of the 1977 additional protocols to the Geneva conventions. We have been considering carefully the legal, political and military implications of ratification. This has involved a detailed and continuing process of consultations with our allies in NATO. Progress has been made. Final decisions on ratification will be made when that process of consultation is complete.