§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals Her Majesty's Government intend to submit to the special conference on biological and toxic weapons in Geneva in September; and if he will place any non-confidential papers put to and circulated at the conference in the Library.
§ Mr. SoamesWe will be proposing at the special conference that states parties to the biological and toxin weapons convention work to strengthen the convention through the creation of an effective verification regime and, to this end, that the special conference agrees a mandate for a group of experts to draft a verification protocol for the BWC. We will further be proposing that this work be completed in time for the 1996 fourth BWC review conference. Copies of papers from the special conference will be placed in the Library of the House.