§ 6. Sir COOPER RAWSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps it is proposed to take with regard to Article II, Section 2, of the Draft Convention of the League of Nations, relating to the pollution of the sea by oil and regarding the prescribing by nations of zones, in view of the fact that it is not possible for any zone to be prescribed between England and France for the discharge of oil without this oil shortly reaching the shores of England, Irish Free State, France, Belgium, and Holland, thus causing destruction to birds and fish?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Viscount Cranborne)The object of Article 2 of the Draft Convention is not to establish zones within which the discharge of oil is permitted, but to estab- 1356 lish zones within which the discharge of oil is prohibited. The coasts of France and England are for the most part less than 100 miles apart. This position is covered by Article 2 (2), and if my hon. Friend will refer to this paragraph he will find that it provides that, where the coasts of high contracting parties are less than 100 miles apart, the establishment of zones within which the discharge of oil is prohibited shall be a matter for agreement between the countries concerned. Each country has, however, in such cases, the right to establish without agreement its part of the zone up to the median line between the two coasts. I would add that the draft Convention is still under consideration by Governments and that it is hoped that it will ultimately be submitted to an international conference.
§ 7. Sir C. RAWSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Germany, Russia, and Japan have, replied to the questionnaire which was sent to the various Governments by the League of Nations' committee of experts in January, 1935, on the pollution of the sea by oil?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEI understand that a reply has been received from Japan, but not, up to the present time, from Germany or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.