MOD file DEFE 24/2032/1

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Written
months to learn how to avo· e dangers
iof using it within a ing or smoke-
filled building. T e considerations. st.ill
hold good. - T e are, however, specmhst
RN and F firemen, equipped with
breathi apparatus and fully trained to
use · , who have been deployed in the
jor conurbations.
UFO's: FRENCH RADIO BROADCAST
The EARL of CLANCARTY asked
Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will reconsider their
decision, implicit in their answers to two
recer.t Questions for Written Answer
(cots. 1347 and 1453), not to draw the
attention of the Ministry of Defence and
the Home Office to the interview on
France-Inter radio in February 1974
of the then French Minister of Defence
M. Robert Galley about unidentified
flying objects by M. Jean-Claude
Bourret which is transcribed in his
book The Crack in the Universe.
Lord WINTERBOTTOM: The Mini-
stry of Defence are endeavouring to obtain
an official transcript of the interview said
to have taken place on France-Inter radio
in February 1974.
GENEVA CONVENTIONS:
ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL
Lord BROCKWAY asked Her
Government:
Whether the Governme t have yet
decided whether to sign e two addi-
tional protocols to th Geneva Con-
vent;ons of 1949 whi were adopted
at the Humanitaria Law Conference
in June of this year· and if he will make
a Statement.
Lord GORO Y-ROBERTS: The
two protocols "" re opened for signature
on 12th Dec nber 1977. Protocol I
relates to th protection of victims of
internationa armed conflicts and Proto-
col n to t protection of victims of non-
internatio al armed conflicts. Signature
of both rotocols on behalf of the United
Kingd took place on 12th December.
Th Government consider that, overall,
the .. '~~ protocols E1ath.. a ·.. ~lu'"~.o:~ '-i.JVi.llh.:~
in _umanitarian law applicable in armed
conflicts. In Protocol I we particularly
Answers
welcome the increased protection for e
sick and wounded and for medical aircr. ft;
the improved arrangements for i for-
mation on persons reported missin ; the
protection of the civilian pop ation
against direct attack, and the n pro-
visions on implementation and nforce-
ment both of the protocol and th Geneva
Conventions. Protocol 11 pro ides the
minimum standards of cond ct to be
observed by both sides in ci il wars, a
field previously covered only y a single
Article in each of the four 49 Geneva
Conventions. We welcom the funda
mental guarantees provided y Protocol II,
in relation to e.g. accused and detained
persons, protection of the wounded and
sick and medical personnc and protection
of the civilian population
The United Kingdo 's signature of
the protocols was acco panied by formal
declarations on variou points, of which
copies have been pia d in the Library
of the House. Almos without exception,
these reflect statem ts made by the
United Kingdom at t e Conference which
are already part of the negotiating
history. The most significant of them
concern the scope f application of the
protocols. First, s with several recent
international con entions, the Govern-
ment have cons· ered it necessary to
reserve the right t to apply the protocols
in relation to S uthern Rhodesia unless
and until they a e in a position to ensure
that the obliga ions of the protocols in
respect of th territory can be fully
implemented. Secondly, we have con-
firmed the un erstanding upon which we
took part in t e negotiations, that the new
rules introd ed by Protocol I were not
intended to ave any effect on and did not
regulate or prohibit the use of nuclear
weapons.
Thirdly the provisions of Protocol I,
including that on prisoner of war status
for irre ular fighters, apply only to
internati nal armed conflict, which are
now so defined by the protocol as to
include ertain self-determination conflicts.
The overnment have considered it
desira le in this connection to place
form lly on record by means of an
inter retative declaration their under-
stan ing of the meaning of the term
"a ed conflict", which implies a high
1~\ l ur LlL~:il;)ii.j vl" ,;·~.::i~~i.(y· up~ratiOilS,
an their understanding of the require-
ments to be fulfiHed by any national
i
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