HC Deb 29 June 1994 vol 245 c574W
Mr. Riddick

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress the former Warsaw pact countries are making in achieving the arms reduction targets set by the conventional armed forces in Europe treaty.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Under the terms of the treaty, NATO and the countries of the former Warsaw pact have from July 1992 until November 1995 to meet their reduction obligations. To date over 20,000 items have been destroyed, 65 per cent. of them by the former Warsaw pact countries, including 4,409 tanks; 5,970 armoured vehicles; 25 helicopters; 713 combat aircraft; and 2,166 pieces of artillery. The total reduction liability of these countries is twice that of NATO countries—a reflection of the former Warsaw pact's larger holdings of weapons.

Mr. Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken to ensure that former Warsaw pact countries are carrying out their obligations under the provisions of the conventional armed forces in Europe treaty.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Monitoring of compliance with the treaty's provisions is carried out by international challenge inspections. It is NATO policy to witness all destruction events carried out by former Warsaw pact countries. For the United Kingdom, this is conducted by the joint arms control implementation group—JACIG. Since the reduction period began in 1992, JACIG has led 46 missions to reduction sites in Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union, where 67 per cent. of all destructions will take place. As a result of these and similar inspections carried out by other NATO countries we believe that all state parties are currently in compliance with their treaty obligations.