§ Mr. John Browneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to encourage a United Nations initiative to work for a short-term, limited truce between Iraq and Iran, under United Nations' auspices, to allow for the capping of the major oil leak in the Arabian Gulf.
§ Mr. HurdWe have repeatedly said that we would welcome any initiative to deal with this problem. We have played an active part in discussions at the United Nations aimed at achieving either a permanent or temporary ceasefire. The existing oil slick and continued discharge of oil seriously threatens the ecology of the Gulf region, and we urge both belligerents to take into account the interests of the other littoral states without further delay.