§ Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made at the fourth session of the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference just concluded in New York; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuardOne of the main achievements of the session was the production of a Revised Single Negotiating Text taking account of the discussions: this was produced by the chairmen of the main committees, and by the president of the conference. These texts are long and detailed and require careful study. I am making arrangements for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Many parts of the text, for example those dealing with fisheries, the Continental Shelf. and with navigational issues in the territorial sea, straits and the high seas, are essentially unchanged and broadly satisfactory.
On the international sea bed regime, the Revised Single Negotiating Text represents substantial progress in the assurance it gives about access for States and their companies to the resources of the area. This text seems to provide 728W a more satisfactory basis for future negotiation than the previous text.
On pollution and marine scientific research, there are a number of changes to the previous text. While it is too early to give a considered assessment of the revised text, the new text seems at least to provide a reasonable basis for further negotiation on these two subjects.
We welcome the decision of the conference to hold a further session from 2nd August to 17th September 1976 in New York.