HL Deb 24 July 1974 vol 353 cc1675-7
THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

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 whether they have any Statement to make on Press reports that delimitation of the Franco-British Continental Shelf licensing areas has been referred to arbitration.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS)

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Prime Minister informed another place yesterday, at his meeting with the President of France on July 19 it was agreed that the problem over the delimitation of the continental shelf should be settled by impartial arbitration.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask him whether he can give the House any information as to who are the arbitrators and when one may expect proceedings to begin and more important, to terminate?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, the composition of the arbitrating tribunal, which has been agreed between the French and ourselves, remains to be settled, but I anticipate no difficulty about agreement on that score. The tribunal will start work as soon as possible. I expect this to be done in the course of the next few weeks or within two or three months.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, does the noble Lord expect proceedings to be prolonged, or is it mutually hoped that proceedings themselves need not last more than a few weeks?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, I would hopefully anticipate that they will not be prolonged as they are the discussions between friends and allies.

LORD BLYTON

My Lords, can the Minister assure us that the arbitrators will be free, and that there will not be Common Market jurists as arbitrators to determine the issue in the light of the fact that they have an interest in the whole matter?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, the membership of the Tribunal will be agreed between the two countries and will be drawn from among prominent international jurists.

LORD OAKSHOTT

My Lords, can the noble Lord say how many members there will be of the Tribunal? Is that not a very civilised way to settle differences between countries?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, it is indeed a very civilised way of settling differences between countries. On the first point, I can say that the membership will be five.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, can my noble friend say whether the seat of the Tribunal is likely to be located at The Hague?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, no, I could not. That too will be agreed between the two parties.

LORD PARGITER

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether or not the views of the Channel Islands are to be taken into consideration in this matter?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, the area to be submitted to arbitration is to be agreed between the two countries and, of course, the position of the Channel Islands will form part of that discussion.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, can the noble Lord add this further information to what he has already been good enough to tell the House: is it the case that one of the points at issue between the two countries is the definition of the word "adjacent" in the relevant convention and whether that means geographically or geologically adjacent?

LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, that is indeed so, and if it were the only point that will need to be discussed one would feel somewhat relieved. That point and a number of other very technical points will have to be gone into in fair depth—if that is the right phrase to use in this case.

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (LORD SHEPHERD)

My Lords, for fear that what the noble Lord has just done may be taken as a precedent, may I refer him to Standing Order No. 37 of which he was in breach. However, as the note has just been passed to me, it is now done and we cannot help it. I hope it will not happen again.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for the genial manner for his correction and remind him that I was acting in the light of a precedent sanctioned a year ago when a similar situation arose. But I am much obliged for the leave and indulgence of the House.

Forward to