§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider the siting of weapons in space should be a subject of preventive diplomacy by the United Nations or by any other party; and
Why successive British Governments have voted against or abstained from resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly on "preventing an arms race in outer space" (PAROS); and whether in future they will support such resolutions.
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe have made clear that we have no objection to re-establishing an Ad-Hoc Committee at the Conference on Disarmament on this issue. Together with other European Union member states, we abstained on the United Nations General Assembly resolution on this issue because we did not wish to prejudge the outcome of further debate within the Conference on Disarmament.
I cannot comment on the position taken by previous governments on this issue.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have given any undertakings to the United States not to object to its current research and development programmes for the siting of weapons 124WA in space as announced in the Quadrennial Defense Review and other official documents of the United States Administration.
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanNo such undertakings have been given.