HC Deb 30 April 1974 vol 872 cc442-3W
Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional area of the sea bed would come under the jurisdiction of Her Majesty's Government by according offshore limits of (a) 12 miles, and (b) 200 miles to the island of Rockall and similar outlying islands of British dependencies.

Mr. Ennals

No additional area of the sea bed would come under the jurisdiction of Her Majesty's Government by according offshore limits of 12 miles for such purposes to the island of Rockall. With the possible exception of some volcanic islands which rise sheer from the sea bed, the same applies to outlying islands of British dependencies. With regard to offshore limits of 200 miles, a number of uncertainties make it impossible to give any figure or, indeed, to indicate whether such a limit would bring any net additional area of the sea bed under British jurisdiction.

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