§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy 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 agreement has yet been reached with the Republic of Ireland to delimit British and Irish areas of the Continental Shelf for hydrocarbon exploration and whether any contentious questions have arisen regarding sovereignty over the islands in this sector of the North Atlantic.
319§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, no agreements have yet been reached between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland on the delimitation of their Continental Shelf boundary. I know of no challenge to British sovereignty over any islands in the area.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, without wishing to extend the Question into suggestions that might be challenges to sovereignty, introduced by the noble Lord in his Answer, may I ask him this supplementary question? Has any question of any kind arisen with regard to the position of Rockall?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSSo far not, my Lords. The island of Rockall was annexed to the Crown in 1955 and it was made part of Scotland by the Island of Rockall Act 1972. To the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government, no other State has laid claim to it.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, having asked whether any other State has laid claim to the Island of Rockall, can the noble Lord answer this further question? Has the matter arisen at any international gathering at which Britain and Ireland were present, such as the Summit?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSNot to my knowledge, my Lords. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland discussed the question of the delimitation of the Continental Shelf boundary on 15th July at the Brussels meeting. The exchange was, as usual, amicable. It was decided that both countries should endeavour to settle this question by negotiation. We expect discussions to take place in the next few months.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for his more informative reply?
Viscount MONCKMy Lords, can the noble Lord inform the House whether the people of Rockall will be consulted on this matter?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, if there were any people I have no doubt that they would be consulted.
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, does the noble Lord realise that exploration will be held up until there is agreement on the median lines in the important areas, to the North and West of Britain, of the Continental Shelf? Is the noble Lord also aware that, as the Minister who was responsible for introducing the 1972 Act, I trust that the bird population of Rockall will be well looked after by Her Majesty's Government?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, we shall do our best to take care of the birds. On the noble Lord's other point, I agree that we regard this matter as one of urgent importance.
The Earl of HALSBURYMy Lords, could the noble Lord give an undertaking that on the difficult and delicate question of when is a Continental Shelf not a Continental Shelf, the voice of geology will be allowed to make itself heard?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, it seems that the voice of geology and geography is already fairly clearly audible in this House from the very Back Bench of the Conservative side. More seriously, geology is, of course, of as much importance as geography and, indeed, politics in these matters.