§ 26. Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what part his Department is playing in preparations for the International Law of the Sea Conference.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerMy Department is participating fully in the preparations for this conference with particular reference to the aspects of sea-bed resources, coastal pollution, merchant shipping and civil aviation.
§ Mr. ReedIn those deliberations will my right hon. Friend take special note of the growing danger that ships may collide with rigs and fixed platforms, especially as they are to appear in the Western Approaches to the English Channel? Would my right hon. Friend impress on our friends in the Foreign Office that the 500-metre safety zone around such installations is totally inadequate?
§ Mr. WalkerI will look into both those points and convey my hon. Friend's views to the Foreign Office.