§ Lord KENNETasked Her Majesty's Government:
What areas of the high seas have been closed to international shipping because of rocket and other weapon tests in recent years, by which States, and for how long, and whether such closing of the high seas would be in accordance with either Article 88 or Article 89 of the Composite Negotiating Text (CNT) now before the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III).
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMany States, including the United Kingdom, have in recent years engaged in rocket and other weapon tests on the high seas. In British practice the tests are suspended if a vessel enters the range. This does not constitute a claim to close an area of the high seas and would not contravene Articles 88 and 89 of the ICNT. In an earlier period when nuclear weapon tests were being conducted in the Pacific in areas comparatively little used for navigation, the States concerned took various measures to ensure that navigation was not endangered.