§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the intention of the United Kingdom to propose the acceptance of a partial treaty or convention on the Law of the Sea to comprehend those extensive areas of negotiation in which there is broad agreement within the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, or whether the policy of Her Majesty's Government will be to secure an all-embracing treaty on the basis of the single revised negotiating text.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference concerning the composition, powers and scheme of operations of an international sea bed authority; and what are the current views of the United Kingdom on these questions.
§ Mr. LuardAt Geneva, negotiations on these subjects were intensively pursued in three informal negotiating groups. The group chairman subsequently suggested revisions of the informal composite negotiating text, some of which, if accepted, would represent improvements. The Government's objectives remain those stated in my replies to my hon. Friend on 10th April.—[ Vol. 947, c.333–4.]