Dr. John CunninghamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when Her Majesty's Government will introduce legislation to ratify the chemical weapons convention;
(2) what preparations his Department has made for the implementation of the chemical weapons convention and for the establishment of the national authority.
§ Mr. HeseltinePrimary legislation is required to enable the United Kingdom to ratify the chemical weapons convention. This will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time and other Government legislative priorities permit.
My Department has a section dedicated to preparing for the implementation of the CWC, including the establishment of a national authority. These preparations are now at an advanced stage. We have been liaising closely with other Government Departments which have an interest in the CWC and with industry representatives. My Department will be issuing a discussion document early in the New Year, to canvass industry views on the implementation of the CWC in industry in the UK.