UNITED STATES NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION

Early day motion 651, tabled 4 February 2003 by Llew Smith (Labour). Signed by 64 members.

That this House notes the United States of America signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on 13th January 1993; observes with concern that since that time, the United States Government has prohibited access by verification inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to several chemical industry sites in the US on the grounds of protecting 'business proprietary information of US companies,' according to the Under Secretary at the US Bureau of Industry and Security in statement on 10th October 2002; notes with disapproval that US escorts have also refused to allow inspectors to use approved inspection equipment (e.g., weighing equipment) during inspections of some military facilities used for chemical weapon manufacture or storage in the past; believes that the United States has imposed limits on inspections of its facilities that are contrary to the requirements of the treaty, including reserving the right for the President to block inspections and limiting what facilities may be inspected; records with disapproval that this stance has led to a less thorough inspection regime; observes the US has acted in a similar disruptive way in respect of the Biological Weapons Convention, putting the interests of the secrecy of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies before global security and anti-terrorist measures; points out that if Iraq were to be similarly unco-operative it would incur the deadly wrath of the US Administration; and thus calls upon Her Majesty's Government to put all possible pressure on the United States Administration to enforce American compliance with these treaties.

Signatures by party: Labour 47, Liberal Democrat 8, Labour/Co-operative 5, Plaid Cymru 4.