Biological Weapons Convention

HC Deb 27 January 1999 vol 324 c285W

Ms McCafferty

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Government will promote proposals for a strengthened Biological Weapons Convention by the year 2000 at the forthcoming negotiations in Geneva. [67158]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is a key Government objective in the field of arms control. The UK is playing a leading role in the negotiations on a legally-binding Protocol where we are chairing the sessions on compliance measures. This section will be at the heart of the future verification regime. With a total of 16 weeks of negotiations in 1999, the UK will be working closely with its EU partners, and all other countries actively seeking completion of a Protocol during 2000. Consistent with the importance we attach to this work, the UK has offered to host the Signing Ceremony of the Protocol in London.