§ 10. Sir R. Russellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the International Civil Aviation Organisation with the drafting of a Convention to prevent the hi-jacking of aircraft.
§ Mr. LuardThe special sub-Committee of the International Civil Aviation Organisation has completed a draft of the proposed new Convention against hi-jacking; it will be submitted to the I.C.A.O. Legal Committee in February. As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary 14 Under-Secretary told the hon. Member on 13th October, this draft Convention is designed to strengthen international measures to deal with hi-jackers.—[Vol. 788, c. 27–8.]
§ Sir R. RussellDoes the hon. Gentleman agree that the detention of the two Israeli passengers by Syria until the package deal was arranged and the 13 Syrian prisoners released by Israel highlights the danger of this whole business? Can we wait until February, when the matter goes before a Legal Committee, before something is done?
§ Mr. LuardI entirely agree that the detention of the Israeli passengers by Syria was deplorable, and it is partly to deal with actions of this kind that urgent steps have been taken to negotiate this Convention. In fact, progress in reaching agreement on the Convention has been very rapid. Nothing more can be done until it has been ratified by a sufficient number of States.