To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has considered the proposal put forward in Stockholm by the six nations initiative leaders for a multilateral verification system within the United Nations; if he will support the proposal at the United Nations special session on disarmament; and if he will make a statement.

We consider that verification is an essential element of any arms control agreement. Verification is most effective when provisons for it are specifically tailored to a particular treaty. Detailed verification arrangements are thus best left to the parties to a treaty. We would therefore question the value of a United Nations verification agency.