§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the dispute over the Falkland Islands dependencies has been referred to the International Court of Justice; and whether the Argentine was prepared to submit to the court's jurisdiction.
§ Mr. PymIn 1947 and subsequently the British Government offered to submit the dispute over the482W Dependencies to the International Court of Justice. In 1955 the Government approached the Court unilaterally. Argentina has refused to submit to the Court's jurisdiction on this issue.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, of the present population of the Falkland Islands dependencies prior to the recent occupation, what percentage were Argentine.
§ Mr. PymThe population of the Falkland Island Dependencies is as follows. There are 28 in South Georgia (26 British Antarctic survey staff plus two wildlife television film producers). There is an illegal all the year round presence of some 11 Argentines in the scientific station on Southern Thule. The population of the Falkland Islands themselves at the last census was 1,813 of whom 30 were Argentine residents.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the extent of the land tenure held by the Coalite Group Ltd in the Falkland Islands; and what is the number of people employed by the Falkland Island Co. and other local subsidiaries.
§ Mr. PymThe Falkland Island Company, a subsidiary of the Coalite Group Ltd, own some 45 per cent. of the farmland. Falkland Island Company's employees in Falkland Islands number 240.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many companies have shown interest or made representation to Her Majesty's Government for exploration or prospecting for oil and gas in and around the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. OnslowA number of companies have expressed an interest in the hydrocarbon potential of the continental shelf adjacent to the Falkland Islands. There have been two seismic surveys of parts of the continental shelf authorised by Her Majesty's Government and carried out by American companies in 1978. These reports are available to other international companies on a commercial basis.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a median line has been established between the Argentine and the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. OnslowAs a geographical fact, there is of course already a median line between Argentina and the Falkland Islands. But no agreement has been reached between the United Kingdom and Argentine Governments on the delimitation of the zones within which each enjoys the economic rights of a coastal state in that area. In the absence of an agreed boundary, neither party, in Her Majesty's Government's view, would be entitled to exercise coastal State rights beyond the median line.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there are licensing arrangements for exploration for oil and natural gas on the continental shelf of the Falkland Islands both in the Malvinas Basin and the Burdwood Bank.
§ Mr. OnslowUnder the terms of the Continental Shelf Convention of 1958 and the applicable rules of international law, the United Kingdom has exclusive jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf areas adjacent to the Falkland Islands. 483W Certain powers to licence exploration and exploitation are conferred on the Governor of the Falkland Islands under the Falkland Islands (Continental Shelf) Order in Council 1950 and the Falkland Islands Mining (Mineral Oil) Regulations of 1964.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any licences for oil and gas exploration have been granted by Her Majesty's Government in offshore areas of the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. OnslowNo.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any licences granted by the Argentine Government for oil and gas exploration cross into sovereign areas of the Falkland Islands; and what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards any such licences.
§ Mr. OnslowNot as far as we are aware. However in 1980, the Argentine authorities invited tenders for an exploration of an area known as the Magallanes Este block, part of which lies beyond the median line between the Falkland Islands and Argentina. In the absence of an agreement of a delimitation of the continental shelf between the Falkland Islands and Argentina neither country would be entitled to exercise continental shelf rights beyond the median line. We protested then to the Argentines about the tender and made our position known to the oil industry.