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207
Mr Munro (EAD)
Mr Simons (SEAD)
Mr Snodgrass (PTD)
Mr Ure (SAmD)
Mr Shakespeare (MCD)
Mr McLaren (HKG D) ✓✓
Mr Posnett (Dependent Territories Adviser)
Mr Watts (Legal Advisers)
Defence Department
HKK 020/1
REGAVID MI LOISTRY NO. 51 - 4 DEC 1978
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COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN (CTB) NEGOTIATIONS: STATIONS (NSS) IN UK DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
1.
NATIONAL SEISMIC
There is agreement in principle in the CTB negotiations that the multilateral treaty banning nuclear tests for 3 years will be supplemented by a Separate Verification Agreement between the UK, US and USSR, providing for additional means of verifying those 3 states' compliance with the treaty. At US and UK suggestion a major element in this will be seismic monitoring stations on the territory of the 3 parties.
2.
The Americans have. proposed 10 such stations in the USSR. The Russians have just retorted that there should also be 10 stations each in the US and UK (Geneva telnos 963 and 964 of 28 November attached). For the UK, the USSR has proposed one location in Scotland and 9 in UK "dependent" territories at Aldabra, Brunei, Tarawa, Pitcairn, Malden, Port Stanley, Egmont, Belize and Hong Kong.
3.
A "national seismic station" as currently envisaged would consist of a single package of seismometers buried in a deep hole below ground, with tamper-proof instrumentation on or just below the surface. A small shed would be required to house the power supply, and seismic data would ideally be transmitted from a small dish at the NSS to a satellite. The station itself would not need to be manned continuously but would have to be inspected and maintained regularly. Teams for both installation and maintenance of the station would include Russians.
4.
I attach a note of first comments on the "dependent" territories named by the Russians, which has been prepared by my Department after brief consultation with the geographical departments concerned. It is extremely hard to see how UK
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