§ Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methods are used for the destruction of chemical weapons taken into custody by the special commission of the International Atomic Energy Authority.
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§ Mr. Archie HamiltonChemical weapons are not taken into custody by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United Nations special commission in Iraq is, however, charged under Security Council resolution 687 to ensure the destruction of Iraqi chemical weapons. Good progress is being made in planning for the destruction of Iraqi stocks declared or discovered to date. The special commission's destruction advisory panel has put forward proposals for the destruction of 122 mm rockets by explosive detonation and the use of fuel thereby ignited to create a destructive fireball. The Iraqis have been asked to construct an incinerator for mustard agent destruction to designs approved by the special commission, and trials of nerve agent destruction by hydrolysis were observed at the end of January 1992 by the chemical weapons inspection team in Iraq. Careful attention is being paid to safety and environmental protection in all destruction methods considered by the special commission.