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Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Volume 178: debated on Monday 29 October 1990

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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom officials will represent Her Majesty's Government at the amendment conference to the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty, to be held in New York in January next year; and if his Department has had any consultation with interested non-governmental organisations over prospects for this conference.

United Kingdom official representation at the partial test ban treaty amendment conference has not yet been decided. We anticipate that it will be drawn from officials serving at our missions to the United Nations conference on disarmament at Geneva and to the United Nations in New York. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office discussed prospects for the conference at the most recent of meetings with non-governmental organisations on 23 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each outstanding technical verification problem requiring resolution prior to the achievement of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty; and what resources in terms of committed scientific expertise and financial support have been expended by Her Majesty's Government since 1980 on the problems of verification.

A full explanation of the technical problems with verification can be found in CD/610, a paper submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the United Nations conference on disarmament at Geneva in July 1985. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. We maintain a specialist seismic research unit known as Blacknest, committed to studying verification. It employs approximately 30 staff.