§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the purpose of and participants in the conference on the nuclear future-dilemmas of arms control, reduction and proliferation, to be held at his departmental conference centre at Wilton Park from 11 to 15 January.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to Wilton Park under its chief executive, Mr. Geoffrey Denton. I have asked him to arrange for a written reply to be given.
Letter from Geoffrey Denton to Mr. Llew Smith, dated 21 December 1992:
Thank you for your question asking for a satement on the purpose of and the participants in the conference on "The Nuclear Future: Dilemmas of Arms Control, Reduction and Proliferation". I hope the following will answer your question.The purpose of the conference, as for all Wilton Park conferences, is to provide a forum for the exchange of views, in order to promote international understanding of the issues and to enhance the reputation of the UK as a country that believes in resolving international problems through peaceful dialogue.The participants will be drawn from 15–20 countries, and several professions: military and civilian defence staff, diplomats and other officials, businessmen, academics, media.More specifically, the conference will discuss the future of nuclear weapons with due reference to the fact that the ending of the East-West military confrontation has coincided with a situation where the role of nuclear and chemical and biological weapons has increased outside Europe.