§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in view of current events in the Gulf and elsewhere, they have welcomed Mr. Shevardnadze's proposal, in a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations last August, about restricting international arms sales and securing an effective international regime to prevent the proliferation of certain kinds of missile and missile technology; and what steps are being taken to follow up these suggestions.
The Earl of CaithnessThe United Kingdom has taken several initiatives of its own on the arms trade at the United Nations. In 1988 we co-sponsored a resolution calling for more openness in world-wide arms transfers and stricter national export controls. We are playing a full part in the study group set up by the UN Secretary General to look at ways and means of promoting transparency in international transfers of conventional weapons. The United Kingdom was a founder member of the Missile Technology Control Regime and is working hard to extend its membership: six new members have joined the regime this year.