§ 43. Sir B. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps Her Majesty's Government have taken and are taking in respect of the prevention of hi-jacking of aeroplanes and ensuring the release of the victims unlawfully detained by the Syrian authorities.
§ Mr. LuardI have nothing to add to the answers which I gave to my hon. Friend on 17th November, and to the hon. Member for Wembley, South (Sir R Russell) earlier today. My hon. Friend will have learned of the release of the two passengers detained by the Syrian authorities.—[Vol. 791, c.175.]
§ 44. Sir B. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will propose a convention to ensure international action against the attacks made by terrorists on airline passengers and 4W other persons and buildings by nationals of countries other than those in which the attacks take place.
§ Mr. LuardNo. The safety of persons and buildings in a country is a matter for the authorities responsible for the protection of life and property in that country. Her Majesty's Government is, of course, actively engaged in the preparation in I.C.A.O. of a draft Convention for the extradition of hi-jackers.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek to negotiate the necessary international agreements to make the piracy of aircraft an extraditable offence.
§ Mr. LuardWe have played an active part in the work of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a specialised agency of the United Nations, in drafting a convention which provides that hijacking should be an offence in contracting States and that it shall be regarded as an extraditable offence.