§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider it desirable that the Spratly Islands be demilitarized and issues relating to their natural resources submitted to international arbitration; and whether they will bring the matter before the United Nations Security Council
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe continue to believe that competing claims to the Spratly Islands should be resolved peacefully by diplomatic means and not through the use of military force. All competing claimants have subscribed to the 1992 Manila ASEAN declaration on the South China Sea which prescribes the peaceful resolution of all issues relating to the conflicting claims. Where we believe this will be effective, we do not hesitate to raise critical situations in the UN or in other international bodies.