§ 12. Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about the present dispute with Iceland over the fishing limits.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeHer Majesty's Ambassador at Reykjavik, accompanied by two senior officials from Whitehall, will be having discussions with the Icelandic Government in Reykjavik tomorrow. These will not be negotiations but are designed to pave the way for ministerial talks, which I hope will be renewed very soon. I would also hope and expect that there will be no further Icelandic harassment of our trawlers while these talks go on.
§ Mr. McNamaraWe are very pleased to hear the news that preparations for talks about talks are taking place. But is it not of the utmost importance that the negotiations at ministerial level start as soon as possible and that they should not be conducted under the threat of harassment of our fishing fleet by the Icelandic Government? Will the right hon. Gentleman indicate the rôle played by the EEC in this matter in refusing, as I understand it, to ratify the free trade treaty with Iceland until next July, until 421 the situation of Iceland and Britain on fishing limits has been reviewed?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeYes, Sir. This action has been taken by the European Community, so everything is suspended until it is seen how these talks go—until next year. I very much agree with the hon. Gentleman. I hope that the talks will not take too long and that the negotiations can be quickly transferred to a ministerial level.
§ Mr. James JohnsonIs the Secretary of State aware that this is the best news that the fishing ports have had since 1st September 1972? Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that our ambassador in Reykjavik has met the Icelandic Foreign Minister, Mr. Agustsson, and that it is more than likely that we shall have the beginnings of an interim agreement which will carry us on, perhaps, into the Santiago talks on the much wider questions of the law of the sea, the sea bed and the whole range of items to be discussed there? Is this not so, and is it not a much better climate altogether?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI hope so. If one may use an appropriate simile, I never like counting my fish until they are on the bank. We have not got this one landed yet, but things look a little better for the time being.
§ Mr. Goronwy RobertsIs the Foreign Secretary aware that both sides of the House will be very glad that negotiations are to be resumed, and echo what he has said about the general hope that they should not proceed in an atmosphere of anything like harassment or retaliation on either side?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI am obliged to the right hon. Gentleman.