§ 18. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date he filed with the International Court of Justice a reservation removing from the sphere of compulsory jurisdiction any question which in the opinion of the United Kingdom affects the national security of the United Kingdom or any of its dependent territories; whether this reservation still remains on the file; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydThe reservation to which the hon. Member refers was notified to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 18th April, 1957, as is shown in Command 249, which has been laid before the House. The reservation remains in force.
§ Mr. HughesWill the right hon. and learned Gentleman tell us whether this precludes Scotland from raising at the International Court of Justice any grievance she has under the Treaty of 1707?
§ Mr. LloydI should like notice of that question, but I should think that the answer is almost certain to be "Yes".
§ Mr. YoungerDoes the Foreign Secretary recollect telling the House in the debate on the Address that this was not the final word of the Government? Can he tell us whether, in view of the 876 objections which have been raised to what he did by the Secretary-General and other people, there have been international consultations on this matter?
§ Mr. LloydI cannot yet add to what I said in the debate on the Address. I agree that it is a good time ago now and a great deal of other things have been happening. It is a matter about which, I say again, our final word has not been said.
§ Dame Florence HorsbrughIs my right hon. and learned Friend aware that Scotland has no grievances that she does not feel she can deal with perfectly efficiently by herself without help from outside?