A Safer World

THE Ministry of Defence deserves credit for dismantling all remaining chemical weapons under its commitments to the Chemical Weapons Convention (Britain destroys last of its nerve gas, March 27). This proves it is possible for a convention banning an indiscriminate WMD to have a serious impact in creating a safer world.

The next step for Britain is to take the lead in realising a nuclearweapons convention that would ban all nuclear weapons. A recent poll shows that 64per cent of Britons (including 79per cent of Scots) believe our government should support such a convention. A draft convention is already lodged with the United Nations.

Commenting on the abolition of our chemical weapons stockpile, an MoD spokesman said: “Britain now no longer has any chemical weapons, usable or not. What we’ve destroyed is a drop in the ocean, but symbolically it’s very important.” Most of Britain eagerly awaits the same fate for our nuclear weapons programme.

Kate Hudson, Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, 162 Holloway Road, London.

(c) 2007 Herald, The; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.