§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Israel in respect of its failure to implement in full United Nations Security Council resolutions. [49268]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Government have called for an immediate and full Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian towns in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1402. The Foreign Secretary most recently stressed our concerns to Israeli Foreign Minister Peres in a telephone conversation on 15 April. We have called on both parties to implement UN Security Council Resolutions 1397, 1402 and 1403.
§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his current estimate is of the quantity of(a) nuclear weapons and (b) chemical weapons possessed by Israel. [49480]
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§ Mr. BradshawAny such estimate would be based on sensitive intelligence sources. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.
We regularly call upon Israel to resolve international concerns about its nuclear status by acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state.
Israel is a state party to the 1925 Geneva Protocol which prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons. It has also signed, but not ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling and retention of chemical weapons. We continue to urge Israel to ratify the convention whenever an appropriate opportunity arises.