§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many countries have ratified—
- (a) the 1954 Convention on Oil Pollution;
- (b) the 1962 amendments;
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, 28 countries have, to date, accepted the 1954 Convention on Oil Pollution, and eleven countries have accepted the 1962 amendments. It is the responsibility of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation as the Bureau for the Convention, to lake steps to expedite the acceptance of the amendments. Her Majesty's Government have fully supported the efforts which the Organisation have made; they hope that the latest 1182 steps taken by the Organisation to hasten acceptances will produce results.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, since the full effects of the 1962 amendments cannot come into force until a larger number of countries have signed those amendments; and since the number of countries who signed the 1954 Convention goes up all the time and this makes it more difficult to get the necessary number of ratifications for the 1962 amendments, could I ask the noble Lord whether Her Majesty's Government would themselves take an initiative in support of IMCO. Indeed, may I ask in what way they have been supporting IMCO in their worthy, but so far unavailing, attempts to get a number of further countries to agree to the 1962 amendments?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, of course the noble Lord is quite right. We must have a further eight acceptances before the 1962 amendments can take effect. I agree with him that it is extremely desirable that this should happen. It is difficult to see what more we can do. We are part of IMCO and we have supported every effort they have made. The only other thing we might do ourselves is individually to lobby countries and urge them to accept these amendments. I have been thinking about this and I will look into it to see what I can do, because I think this is very well worth doing.
§ LORD HURCOMBMy Lords, without being importunate, may I suggest that, much as we value the action Her Majesty's Government have already taken, there is one respect in which they could intervene without difficulty, and that is to use their good offices with other members of the Commonwealth who have still not yet ratified the amendments. If that were done, it would, at any rate, make a move in the right direction.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I most certainly will consider that, and of course it would be part of the action to be taken under my earlier Answer.