§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many units of accommodation are available on the Falkland Islands; whether he has any information whether the 10,000 foreign military 198W personnel are billeted on Falkland Islanders or under canvas; and what is the normal temperature in the Falkland Islands in mid-winter.
§ Mr. OnslowThe last Falkland Islands census showed 589 occupied residential buildings and 58 unoccupied. We believe that a section of the Argentine forces are billeted in permanent accommodation, but the majority are encamped. The mid-winter climate in the Islands is similar to that of the Orkneys. Mean temperatures are about 36°F in July; the minimum temperature is about 12°F
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will place advertisements in North and South American newspapers setting out the United Kingdom's juridical case on the Falkland Islands and the importance of self-determination by the Falkland Islanders.
§ Mr. OnslowWe are prepared to consider such action as and when it appears that it might be useful, but we see no need for such advertisements at present.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of persons he or his officials have recently seen who have been deported from or left voluntarily the Falkland Islands; whether this included former Captain Edmund P. Carlisle; and for what reasons such discussions ensued.
§ Mr. OnslowAll adult British citizens leaving the Falkland Islands since the Argentine invasion have been interviewed at some stage by British officials. The total number of such departures by 22 April was 204 (103 marines; 47 civilian males; 27 women; 27 children).
Mr. Edmund Carlisle was interviewed by Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on 11 April to gain his account of the Argentine invasion and of conditions in the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether in the offer made to the British Government by General Galtieri via the United States Secretary of State, it was proposed that the United Kingdom would play a part in the administration of South Georgia.
§ Mr. OnslowThe present exchanges are delicate, and the British Government are unable to give details of the Argentine proposals or of our response at this stage. It remains the firm objective of the British Government to secure full Argentine withdrawal from the Falkland Islands and their dependencies.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of persons in the Falkland Islands who are (a) tenants or (b) resident owner-occupiers of agricultural or pastoral land.
§ Mr. OnslowThere are two tenant farmers and 30 resident owner-occupiers.