§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects agreement to be reached on the establishment and siting of the Antarctic Secretariat; and if he will make a statement. [73162]
§ Mr. Tony LloydThe Antarctic Treaty Secretariat may be discussed at the next meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties to be held in Peru in May 1999. The need for an Antarctic Treaty Secretariat has long been acknowledged by Consultative Parties, including the UK. But consensus on its location has not yet been reached.
The UK looks forward to a resolution on the matter of the Secretariat's location and will continue constructive dialogue with other Treaty Parties.