HC Deb 08 April 1971 vol 815 cc274-5W
Mr. Rees-Davies

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Her Majesty's Government will now extend territorial waters to a distance of 12 miles or some other suitable extension so that in future the Goodwin Sands will be within territorial waters and the interests of the coast line may thereby be safeguarded.

Mr. Anthony Grant

The mere extension of territorial waters would not necessarily have the desired effect of safeguarding the coastline. Such extension also raises other issues including our interest in the free movement of international trade world wide.

The question of territorial limits is best approached multilaterally, and we are

LANDING TAKE-OFF
Day Night* Day Night*
1968 106,464 8,018 107,171 7,552
1969 109,847 8,518 111,312 7,301
1970 115,282 7,755 116,241 7,169
* Night equals 11.30 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.

Other movements in 1968, 1969 and 1970 were 18,805, 22,388 and 24,252, respectively, for which, however, no corresponding time analysis is available.