HL Deb 30 January 1997 vol 577 c109WA

Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they accept that the Malaysian Government have a right to exclude from its waters a British-flag ship carrying recycled nuclear waste between France and Japan, and, if so, from which waters; and whether they have been approached by any other countries about the passage through their waters of the Pacific Teal.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

Of the three routes used by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd. (PNTL) in transporting nuclear materials, none involve sailing through South-East Asian waters. Like all merchant vessels at sea, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Pacific Teal has the right of innocent passage and freedom of navigation through both territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. Governments of countries on the ship's routes, and others that have inquired, were informed about the extensive safety measures taken in respect of such shipments.