HC Deb 03 July 1973 vol 859 cc236-8
10. Mr. Laurance Reed

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of Royal Navy personnel serving on fishery protection duties off Iceland.

Mr. Buck

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Reed

Is my hon. Friend aware that we all have the highest regard for the way in which the Royal Navy is performing its duties? Will he confirm that the principal task of the Royal Navy remains keeping tabs on the Soviet fleet and not getting entangled in fishermen's nets? Does he not agree that if, as a result of this dispute, Iceland is lost to NATO, that task will be made infinitely more difficult?

Mr. Buck

I have just returned from a NATO meeting and I am aware of the importance of the Keflavik base, which is a separate issue. I remind my hon. Friend that NATO is also devoted to the cause of the maintenance of the rule of law, and we shall give the highest priority to the protection of our fishermen.

Mr. James Johnson

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, whatever the deep-sea fishermen of Bolton may think about the Royal Navy, Hull, Grimsby, Fleetwood and elsewhere think that it is doing a magnificent job, which is confirmed by its record since it was sent in? Can the hon. Gentleman tell us what is happening in our contacts with the West German Navy? Is any contingency planning going ahead for the future, since both our fishing fleets are involved, as was demonstrated the other day?

Mr. Buck

The House will be aware of the incident yesterday in which a German trawler was involved, and I understand that my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary may well be talking to the German authorities on this matter in Helsinki today. One of our ships was tracking one of the Icelandic gunboats, which is the most effective way in which we can provide protection so that fishermen—as the hon. Gentleman knows perhaps better than anyone else—can go on, and go on at a high level.

Mr. Wall

Will my hon. Friend congratulate the Royal Navy on its protection, which is illustrated by the fact that very few warps have been cut since it went in? Does he not agree that any comparisons with the last cod war are totally erroneous? Are not our fishermen confident that they can catch up to the 170,000 tons of fish awarded by the International Court under naval protection?

Mr. Buck

I am obliged to my hon. Friend and I endorse everything he has said. What he said about the catches being made by our trawlers is confirmed from both sides of the House.

Mr. Heffer

Will the hon. Gentleman accept that naval personnel from Liverpool would prefer not to be involved in any conflict with the Icelanders? Will he now look at the position in relation to West Germany? There are no German warships off Iceland and the West German Chancellor is about to visit Iceland to try to reach a settlement. Will the hon. Gentleman draw this fact to the attention of the Prime Minister? Might it not be wise for the Prime Minister to follow that example?

Mr. Buck

The hon. Gentleman says that sailors from Liverpool would prefer not to be involved. We would all prefer not to be involved, because we would like to see the matter dealt with through the courts of law. I remind the hon. Gentle- man that yesterday's incident off Iceland involved a German trawler.

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