§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the letter of 3rd May 1996 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the United Nations Association may fairly be summarised as follows "Nuclear Free Zones are to be encouraged everywhere except in Europe"; and, if so, what is the reasoning behind the letter's propositions.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)We believe that nuclear weapon-free zones based on arrangements freely arrived at among the states in a given region enhance global and regional security. But NATO countries continue to believe that nuclear deterrence makes an essential contribution to preserving peace and stability in Europe.