Biological Weapons

HC Deb 15 November 2000 vol 356 cc683-4W

Dr. Julian Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Biopreparat organisation in Russia and the manufacture of biological weapons. [137929]

Mr. Hain

We are aware of widely-publicised accounts that Biopreparat was originally established to support the biological weapons programme of the former Soviet Union. We do not however comment on intelligence matters.

Russia is a State Party and Depositary Government of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and is currently involved in negotiations on a legally-binding Protocol to strengthen the Convention. The UK Believes that this Protocol will improve transparency and provide internationally agreed mechanisms with which to pursue compliance concerns.