§ 2.46 p.m.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, the House will be reassured to know that I have Lord Vivian's authority to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement on any developments which have taken place with regard to the Falkland Islands since the House rose for the Summer Recess on August 1 last.]
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, since August 1 Her Majesty's Government have continued their talks with Argentine representatives, in accordance with the policy which I explained to your Lordships' House on March 27 and again on June 28.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord, then, whether he will confirm that the Government's position is unchanged: that there is no 788 question of transferring sovereignty of the Falkland Islands without the agreement of the people who live there?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I can confirm that the policy of Her Majesty's Government in this respect is unchanged. Perhaps I may quote, for the OFFICIAL REPORT, a statement that was made on September 22, while the House was in Recess:
It is not the policy of Her Majesty's Government to transfer sovereignty over these Islands against the wishes of the Islanders.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, can the Minister now throw any light on how the Government propose to obtain the views of the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands, in view of the fact that they declined a plebiscite the last time the matter was raised in your Lordships' House?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I am afraid that I cannot give any definite information about that matter. A number of possibilities have been considered and as soon as the Government have decided upon the best way of doing this, then of course we will let Parliament know.