HC Deb 22 January 1973 vol 849 cc14-5W
44. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will summarise the legislation, treaties and international agreements concluded, or in process, the purpose of which is the prevention and punishment of international terrorism, including air piracy.

Lord Balniel

The United Kingdom is a party to the Tokyo Convention of 1963 on Offences Committed on Board Aircraft and to the Hague Convention which provides an international legal framework for bringing hijackers to justice. The Tokyo Convention Act 1967 and the Hijacking Act 1971 were passed to give effect to these Conventions.

Hon. Members will also have seen the Protection of Aircraft Bill now being considered in another place and which, if enacted, will enable us to ratify the complementary Montreal Convention on other forms of violence against civil aviation.

We are playing a full part in discussions in the International Civil Aviation Organisation about joint collective action against countries whose actions endanger civil aviation and shall persevere at the United Nations in calling for collective action against international terrorism. We hope that separate discussions on a Convention for the Protection of Diplomats will soon regain momentum.

Details of existing international agreements in this field will be found in the study on terrorism, prepared by the Secretariat of the United Nations, UN document No A/C6/418, which is in the Library of the House.