HC Deb 27 February 2003 vol 400 c653W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the(a) effectiveness and (b) appropriateness of disabling nerve agents in conflict situations. [98106]

Mr. Ingram

The Ministry of Defence assesses the range of threats that the armed forces may face in conflict, including those from chemical weapons. The use of all chemical weapons is prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force in April 1997. The Convention also prohibits the use of riot control agents (i.e. temporarily disabling agents) as a method of warfare.