§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ship was involved in an incident involving a Guatemalan gunboat in Guatemalan waters on 20 November; whether shots were fired; what action he has taken; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanThe RN ship involved was the hydrographic vessel HMS Fawn. The incident took place not in Guatemalan territorial waters but while Fawn was conducting a hydrographic survey in international waters to the north of a median line between Belize and Guatemala. Shots were fired in the vicinity of HMS Fawn: it is not known whether these were aimed at her or were intended simply as a warning. A diplomatic protest has been made to the Guatemalan Government. The survey will, of course, continue.