§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made on the negotiations on a protocol to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention. [HL3327]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)Since 1995 an Ad Hoc Group of States Parties has been meeting in Geneva to consider measures to strengthen the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. UK officials chair the sessions on compliance measures at the negotiations. The Ad Hoc Group has made good progress and is now working on the rolling text of a draft protocol. Next year will see further intensification of this work, with some 16 weeks of negotiations. Much detailed work remains to be done but the United Kingdom, together with its EU partners, believes that an effective package of measures can be agreed during 1999.