HL Deb 30 October 2002 vol 640 c34WA
Lord Judd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made towards the planned reconvening in November 2002 of the fifth review conference in Geneva of the states parties to the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, suspended last year; and what will be their position at that reconvened conference.[HL5972]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean:

When the Fifth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention was suspended on 7 December 2001, it was decided to reconvene the conference in Geneva from 11 to 22 November this year. In the interim period Her Majesty's Government published their Green Paper on Countering the Threat from Biological Weapons on 29 April. This paper set out the UK position and listed a series of practical measures which could be put in place. We have been consulting widely on this basis and have continued to work closely with all states parties to the convention in order to achieve a positive outcome when the conference resumes.