§ The Marquess of SLIGO asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Whether they can confirm the assurance given in 1975 by the then Prime Minister to the Irish Taoiseach, Mr. Cosgrave, that no exploration of the waters round Rockall would take place without prior consultation with the Irish Government; and whether in view of the recent Woods McKenzie report, and the possibility of vast oil and gas reserves in the 7,000 square miles of the Shallow Rockall Bank, the precise claims to this area should not be established.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)Her Majesty's Government are aware of no such assurance having been given in 1975. The delimitation of the continental shelf between the United Kingdom and the1012WA Republic of Ireland, which includes the area around Rockall, is the subject of discussions between the two Governments, and as my honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in another place on 11th February, the two Governments have agreed in principle to submit the matter to international arbitration.