HC Deb 19 May 1958 vol 588 cc858-9
1. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the results of the recent Conference on the Law of the Sea at Geneva, if he will ensure that any such future conference at which Great Britain is represented shall be limited to problems affecting the fishing waters of the northern European region only, shall consist only of representatives from the nations comprising the northern European region, and shall not be entered upon without the authority of this House being sought and given.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. D. Ormsby-Gore)

No, Sir. The recent Conference was a United Nations Conference to consider the Law of the Sea as a whole. My right hon. and learned Friend does not deny the usefulness of conferences called for more limited purposes, but he certainly cannot undertake that the Government will never again participate in a conference having the same broad scope.

Mr. Hughes

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that for non-maritime and far-distant nations to meet to lay down the law of the sea for European nations in respect of European waters is frustrating and unreasonable, and that this accounts to a large extent for the comparative failure of the recent Conference at Geneva? Will he reconsider my suggestions with regard to having a more productive conference if another conference be held?

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

I will certainly take into account what the hon. and learned Gentleman says. The Conference dealt with many other matters besides fisheries—slavery, piracy, the exploitation of the continental shelf, and so on. There are a great many matters to do with the law of the sea which I think it is advisable to debate in a large conference of this kind from time to time. In many of these other respects it was a highly successful Conference.

Mr. Wall

Will my right hon. Friend say whether the Government are trying to summon a regional conference to consider not only the question of territorial waters but the question of the conservation of fish?

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

I can say that Her Majesty's Government consider that such a conference might serve a very useful purpose, but its composition and terms of reference would, of course, have to be very carefully considered.

Mr. Edward Evans

Is it not a fact that during the Conference on the fishing rights of maritime nations the intervention of non-maritime countries was distinctly unhelpful?

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

Broadly speaking, I think that that is true.