§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Lord Privy Seal what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking in view of the financial difficulties facing the Government of the Falkland Islands; and whether those islands assume the status of a grant-in-aid colony.
§ Mr. RidleyThe Falkland Islands are already in receipt of substantial aid. Efforts are being made to improve the financial facilities available to the Falkland Islands Government but the dispute with Argentina over sovereignty creates uncertainty for potential investors. The Islands are not a grant-in-aid colony.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Lord Privy Seal what steps he is taking, in conjunction with the Falkland Islands Government, to extend the existing three-mile limit in order to gain benefit from offshore exploration of massive resources of oil and fishing.
§ Mr. RidleyWe continue to keep under review the question of extending the fishery zone of the Falkland Islands and their dependencies to 200 miles, but have to consider the problem of enforcement. The presence of oil on the Island's continental shelf can be determined only by drilling. So long as the dispute with Argentina continues, it is not possible to establish the conditions of confidence necessary for commercial companies to investigate the possibilities.