HL Deb 15 June 1976 vol 373 cc433-4
Lord KENNET

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what protest, if any, they have made to the Soviet Government against their having closed some 300 square miles of the high seas (in the Barents Sea) to shipping and fishing for six weeks while they carry out weapons testing there.

The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)

None, my Lords.

Lord KENNET

My Lords, are the Government aware that when the Russians close their seas to navigation and shipping on the other side of the earth, in the North Pacific, the Japanese have no inhibitions about protesting, and very often induce the Russians to change their minds about it? If Her Majesty's Government do not intend to protest about this, how close do the Russians have to come to our own shores before the Government will protest?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Kennet is referring to the Barents Sea. The country immediately concerned is Norway, and I am not aware that the Norwegians, so far at least, have protested formally this year or, indeed, last year, when a similar exercise was announced by the Soviets.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, did I understand my noble friend Lord Goronwy-Roberts to say that no protest has been made? Are not our trawlermen being placed in jeopardy because of that? Do they not sometimes fish in the Barents Sea?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Shinwell understood me correctly. So far as I am aware, the Norwegians, who are directly concerned with this area, have not this year, or last year in similar circumstances, made a formal protest. Norway is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and that Organisation has neither collectively, individually or bilaterally made a formal protest.

Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDE

My Lords, could I ask the noble Lord the Minister whether he has received any official representations from the Chamber of Shipping, or any other body which is very concerned with anything which relates to the shipping industry?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, we are in close touch with that body and other bodies concerned with the shipping and fishing industries. But, to my knowledge, we have not received representations on this specific point.

Lord KENNET

My Lords, can the noble Lord the Minister make it clear why the Government, who are so strongly and rightly concerned about freedom of navigation on the high seas, should let an episode of this nature, where about 300 square miles of the high seas are closed, go by without so much as a squeak of protest?

Lord GORONWAY-ROBERTS

My Lords, it is not unusual for States, including this country, to carry out exercises of this kind on the high seas so long as, as in this present case, the implementation of such an exercise is derived from the 1958 High Seas Convention and the custom, usage and experience which since then has proved that these exercises can be engaged in with due notification and warning. On the whole, the view of Her Majesty's Government, and that of practically every other Government who have looked at this, is that the present system works well, is generally acceptable and, until experience shows otherwise, it would be well to leave the position as it is.