Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present state of discussion with the Irish Republic on delineation of the continental shelf following the official meetings in June and September 1981; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindIt was agreed in 1980 that the delimitation should be submitted to an ad hoc arbitral tribunal. Officials are meeting regularly to discuss the details of the arbitration process. The most recent meeting was held in London on 16 April, which made progress towards agreeing the composition and terms of reference of the arbitral tribunal. Another meeting has been scheduled for June.