§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if it is Government policy to support a protocol to ban laser weapons or blinding as a method of warfare; and if he will make a statement; [31201]
(2) what measures Her Majesty's Government are taking to persuade other countries to agree to a ban on laser weapons. [31202]
§ Mr. FreemanThe Government would be prepared to support the addition to the UN weaponry convention of a new protocol covering lasers, if it were to meet humanitarian concerns without restricting normal military uses of lasers. We are considering specific proposals.