Arms Control (Hansard, 15 July 1991)

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining recent progress achieved with other Governments in the direction of arms control.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
We are committed to verifiable arms control agreements which enhance our security. We participate actively in the follow-on negotiations to the conventional forces in Europe treaty of November 1990 and in negotiations on further confidence and security-building measures. We also participate in negotiations for a global ban on chemical weapons. We are promoting my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's proposal for a United Nations register of arms transfers and consulting other major arms suppliers, in particular the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, on how best to strengthen controls on all forms of arms proliferation.
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§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to discuss arms control with the United Nations and his EC counterparts.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no immediate plans to discuss arms control with the United Nations. Some of this Department's senior officials recently met other members of the permanent five at the United Nations Security Council in Paris on 8 and 9 July to review issues related to conventional arms transfers and to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This group will next meet in London in September. It is possible that my right hon. Friend will discuss arms control issues with his European Community counterparts during the next Foreign Affairs Council on 29 July.

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further plans he has to introduce new international controls on arms sales.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
We are actively participating in efforts to introduce greater responsibility to the international transfer of conventional arms. The five leading arms exporters met in Paris on 8 and 9 July and agreed to work together to develop guidelines for restraint in arms transfer, and to set up a mechanism for continual consultation and exchange of information on these issues. This work will be taken forward at further meetings in London in the autumn.