HC Deb 02 November 1970 vol 805 cc263-5W
69. Mr. Clinton Davis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposals which the Government has made to attempt to arrive at an international agreement on the preventon of the hi-jacking of aircraft.

Mr. Godber

The draft Convention on Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft is due to be finalised by a Diplomatic Conference at The Hague in December. United Kingdom delegations have played a very active part in the International Civil Aviation Organisation at all stages in drawing up the draft Convention and in the recent urgent meetings of the I.C.A.O. Assembly Council and Legal Committee on this and other related aspects of aviation security.

Mr. Coleman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government accepts Resolution No. 450 on air piracy which has been adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe; and what action the Government proposes to take on the request contained in paragraph 5 of the recommendation.

Mr. Anthony Royle

Only paragraph 5 of the Resolution calls for acceptance by Governments. Her Majesty's Government strongly support the appeal in it for the conclusion of the Convention on Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, for which a Diplomatic Conference has been convened in The Hague in December. Under the Convention as at present drafted contracting States would undertake to make hi-jacking an offence subject to severe penalties.

The question of possible joint action against countries in cases of hi-jacking for the purpose of international blackmail is being considered separately in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (I.C.A.O.). We supported a United States initiative to have the matter discussed at a recent meeting of the I.C.A.O. Legal Committee held in London at the invitation of Her Majesty's Government which has referred it for further consideration by a Sub-Committee which is to meet as soon as possible.

Mr. Coleman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government accepts the Council of Europe Recommendation No. 613 on air safety and unlawful seizure of aircraft; and whether he will vote in favour at the Committee of Ministers of the proposals contained in paragraph 9 and will comply at national level with the proposals in paragraph 9 III of the recommendation.

Mr. Anthony Royle

Her Majesty's Government welcome the recommendation that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (or their deputies) should adopt a Resolution calling on all nations to take immediate and energetic steps to stamp out hi-jacking and black-mailing of governments with hostages. We would support the inclusion in it of most of the points recommended.

The question of possible sanctions in this field is, however, already under discussion on a world-wide basis in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (I.C.A.O.) and we do not think that the time is opportune for consideration of a purely European agreement. We strongly support the draft Convention on Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft and attach great importance to wide adherence to it. We doubt whether the insertion of the additional clause proposed would be practical at this stage.

Forward to