§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Denmark about the boundaries of the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone around the United Kingdom, particularly with reference to Rockall.
§ Dr. OwenNone. Her Majesty's Government have had initial contacts with the Danish Government regarding the delimitation of the United Kingdom and Danish fishery zones both in the North Sea and in respect of the Faroes to the north-west of Scotland.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the provisions of the single negotiating text of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, in regard to the generation of economic zones, 200 miles or other, by unihabitable islets.
§ Dr. OwenArticle 128.3 in Part II of the Revised Single Negotiating Text currently before the Conference reads,
Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have 384W no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf".
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom regards Rockall as generating a 200-mile exclusive economic zone; and, if so, on what grounds.
§ Dr. OwenThe question of generation of an exclusive economic zone, by Rockall or by any other part of the United Kingdom, does not arise at the present time. Section 1 of the Fishery Limits Act 1976 provides that British fishery limits extend to 200 miles from the baselines of the United Kingdom or, provided that another line has not been specified, to the median line. Rockell is part of the United Kingdom and accordingly British fishery limits extend around Rockall to 200 miles or to the median line.