§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government propose to sign the international convention on the law of the sea when it comes into force following the subscription of the requisite number of signatory States at Caracas.
§ Mr. RifkindHer Majesty's Government will be examining the texts adopted by the United Nations law of 79W the sea conference on 30 April in the light of our national interests. One of the factors to be taken into account in deciding upon signature will be the attitude of other Governments.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he estimates will be the effect of the recently negotiated convention on the law of the sea on the territorial and continental shelf limits of (a) the Argentine and (b) the Falkland Islands dependencies.
§ Mr. RifkindThe draft convention recently adopted envisages a 12 nautical mile territorial sea as a maximum. As to the continental shelf insufficient scientific data are at present available for the establishment of precise limits under the convention in areas adjacent to Argentina and in areas adjacent to the Falkland Islands and its dependencies. In those cases, however, the limits under the convention would almost certainly extend beyond 200 miles in a number of places.