§ 58. Mr. Grimondasked the Lord Privy Seal, in view of the incident of the trawler "Red Crusader", what new approaches he has made to the Danish and other Governments affected for a reconsideration of fishing limits and the methods of their enforcement.
§ 69. Lady Tweedsmuirasked the Lord Privy Seal what consultations have 54W taken place with the Danish Government, and what agreements have been reached, concerning the methods employed to enforce fishing limits.
§ Mr. Wallasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will give details of current fishing limits agreements between the British Government and foreign Governments, and the dates when the agreements are due to expire.
§ Mr. HeathThe details are as follows:
With the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, granting the right to United Kingdom-registered fishing boats to operate up to a limit of three sea miles off the Soviet coast in certain areas of the Barents Sea.
With Denmark, whereby Her Majesty' Government agree to the exclusion of United Kingdom-registered fishing vessels from a six-mile limit off the coast of the Faroes, and seasonally, from certain types of fishing in three specified areas between the six-and twelve-mile limits.
With Iceland, whereby Her Majesty's Government undertake to observe a twelve-mile fishing zone around that country. During specified seasons United Kingdom-registered vessels are, until March, 1964, permitted to fish in certain areas between the six-and twelve-mile limits.
With Norway, whereby Her Majesty's Government agree to the exclusion of United Kingdom-registered vessels from fishing within a zone of six miles wide from the Norwegian coast. Until the 31st of October, 1970, the Norwegian Government will not object to United Kingdom vessels continuing to fish within the zone between the six- and twelve-mile limits, after which date Her Majesty's Government agree to their exclusion from that zone.
In addition, the United Kingdom is a party to the North Sea Convention of 1882 (Belgium Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands) laying down three-mile fishery limits as between the signatories, and the Anglo-Danish Agreement of 1925, granting the United Kingdom free access to the East Greenland coast.
None of these agreements provides for a definite date of expiry.
Those with Iceland and Norway both remain in force indefinitely and contain no provisions for denunciation.
The North Sea Convention can be denounced on a year's notice to be given on the 15th of May in any year. Otherwise it also continues in force indefinitely.
The Soviet agreement took effect from the 12th of March, 1957, for a period of five years in the first instance.
The Anglo-Danish Agreement on the Faroes remains in force until the conclusion of a general convention regulating the breadth of 55W the territorial sea and fishery limits but provides that after the 27th of April, 1962, it is terminable on one year's notice by either party.
The Anglo-Danish Agreement of 1925 also remains in force indefinitely.