§ 2.42 p.m.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy 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 whether they will support the proposal of the North Atlantic Assembly to have an investigation by the Powers concerned, including Canada and the United States of America, into the conservation of fish and other maritime resources in the Atlantic area.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government will consider with interest the report of the Assembly's Scientific and Technical Committee, if one is made, and if it is brought to our attention by the accepted procedures.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while thanking the Minister, may I ask whether he would not regard this proposal, initiated by my noble friend Lord Wynne-Jones, as a constructive contribution to the settlement of the problem of fishery areas in the Atlantic, now not limited to Iceland, extending to Norway and many American countries? Would it not be a very good preparation for the projected International Conference on Law of the Sea?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, will know, the North Atlantic Assembly is not an official organisation and the accepted procedure is that any reports made by the Assembly go to the Secretary General of NATO and thereafter, if thought fit, to the member countries. I would assure him that we are as equally concerned as is he with regard to the protection of fisheries in the North Atlantic and we are members of a number of consortia already involved in doing just that.
§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURYMy Lords, will my noble friend be careful not to fall into the trap inherent in this Question? This matter, so far as Iceland is concerned, has already been settled at the The Hague, and we stand our ground on it.
EARL FERRERSYes, my Lords, but I think the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, had in mind a rather wider connotation than that which my noble friend referred to.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while thanking the Minister may I ask him this question? Is it not enormously important that this issue should be discussed on a wider basis than the issue of Iceland, in view of Norway, potentially, and many other territories being concerned about their territorial waters? Will Her Majesty's Government seek to expedite the Conference on the Law of the Sea which may take place next year or in 1974, and, in view of its urgency, see that it takes place as early as possible?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, in answer to the noble Lord's last question, I would tell him that we believe that international co-operation is absolutely vital and at the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference, which is to be held next year, we shall be discussing this matter in detail. I would also tell the noble Lord that we are in fact involved with three organisations at the moment: the North Atlantic International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, the International Commission for the North-West Atlantic Fisheries and the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission. We are involved with all these bodies, and we are actively pursuing this matter.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, I thank the Minister.