§ Lord Hughes of Woodsideasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will publish the Green Paper on strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and countering the threat from biological weapons. [HL3993]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanYesterday the Foreign and Commonwealth Office published the Green Paper. Copies have been placed in the Library and it can also be accessed on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk.
The Green Paper sets out the work that has been undertaken over many years to develop measures to make the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention more effective. The Foreign Affairs
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Non-Operational Antiques/Works of Art within the Lord Chancellor's Department as at 28/2/02 Location Value £ (Excl VAT) Value £ (incl VAT) Type of Item Description Worcester Combined Court 1,600 1,880 Painting Late 18th Century, British School, Portrait of Thomas, Lord Coventry, oil on canvas, lifesize,***Ownership unclear Lincoln Crown Court 4,500 5,288 Painting English School, Portrait of Lord Kesteven, oil on canvas, 96 cms x 60 cms Lincoln Crown Court 1,000 1,175 Painting Solomon Joseph Solomons, Sir Edward George Clarke (1841–1931) Solicitor General, oil on canvas, 1335 cms x 60 cms, Lincoln Crown Court 1,800 2,115 Painting English School, Portrait of Charles Chaplin, Esq, MP, oil on canvas, 60 cms x 36 cms Lincoln Crown Court 2,000 2,350 Painting English School, Portrait of Charles Anderson Worsley, oil on canvas, 60 cms x 36 cms Lincoln Crown Court 2,000 2,350 Painting English School, Portrait of John, Earl Brownlow, GCH, oil on canvas, 72 cms x 48 cms Lincoln Crown Court 1,500 1,763 Painting Late 19th Century, English School, Portrait of Sir Charles Henry John Anderson, Bart, oil on canvas, signed with monogram LDC and dated 1873, 48 cms x 24 cms Committee, and Parliament in general, have supported these efforts, for which the Government are grateful.
The paper expresses our disappointment at the failure of the states parties to agree on the text of a protocol to the convention last year, despite all our efforts. It also explains why, despite this disappointment, it is still essential that efforts continue to find ways in which the convention can be strengthened and to counter the threat from biological weapons.
The Green Paper identifies possible measures that states parties might now consider to strengthen the convention. It discusses UK priorities and the next steps ahead of the reconvened BTWC Fifth Review Conference in Geneva on 11 November. It also invites comments on these proposals and seeks views from honourable Members, NGOs and other organisations and individuals with an interest in this subject.