HL Deb 11 December 1968 vol 298 cc510-1
LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds the Argentine Government is claiming sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD CHALFONT)

My Lords, it is not for me to put the Argentine case. We have no doubt about our own legal title to sovereignty.

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that reply and for the assurance, which ho also gave on the 3rd and 4th of this month. That being the case, can he say why we continue to encourage the Argentine Government to believe that we may ultimately yield to unfounded claims?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, with the leave of the House I shall be making a Statement on the Falkland Islands later this afternoon. I would ask the noble Lord whether he would be prepared to leave his question hanging until then.