HL Deb 14 November 1983 vol 444 cc1058-9

2.44 p.m.

Lord Kennet

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the shooting-down by Soviet border forces of a Korean airliner on the grounds that it had entered Soviet airspace, Her Majesty's Government will now obtain from the Soviet Government information about the outer limits of Soviet airspace off its northern coast (facing the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas), which information the Soviet Government has hitherto been unwilling to disclose.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, we understand that the Soviet state border for their airspace is the line established by the Soviet Law on the Border of the USSR of 24th November 1982.

However, the Soviet authorities are still engaged in defining their claims in the sea area to the north of the Soviet Union and, in answer to recent inquiries, were able to tell us only that they would publish the results of this work when it has been completed. We shall continue to seek this information.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, are the Government aware that since I tabled this Question, which was itself a follow-up to an earlier Question in May, I have had a helpful letter from the noble Lord's colleague, Mr. Whitney, saying that whereas earlier the Soviet Government refused to disclose anything about these maritime zones to us or to any other Government, they have now formally told our embassy in Moscow that they are working out base lines around their territorial waters, which would of course generate airspace zones above? Will the Government inform the Soviet Union that we expect these base lines to be fully in accordance with international law—that is to say, that they will not enclose bays of more than 24 nautical miles across; and also will they inform them that we will not recognise any so-called historic seas on their Arctic coast, except the White Sea?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I think we would prefer to comment on these proposals when we see them, rather than some way in advance. But I can assure the noble Lord that we shall have his concerns very much in mind when we do receive them.

Lord Bishopston

My Lords, will the Minister accept the importance of this Question in respect of having internationally agreed definitions of airspace and also procedures? Will he also accept that it is essential to have agreed procedures to deal with violations in a safe manner? Will he recall the horror that gripped the world in respect of the incident referred to in the Question, lest in future such incidents have nuclear dimensions?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I certainly accept the general importance of this matter, although it is perhaps worth saying that the number of flights that operate in the region which is of concern to the noble Lord is very few indeed.