§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether their view has changed on the signing of the Law of the Sea Convention.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)No. The Government's view has not changed. As my noble friend Lord Belstead indicated on 2nd December 1982 when repeating a statement made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, we have fundamental objections to certain aspects of the convention. We had hoped that there might have been improvements which would have enabled us to sign, but these have not occurred. We will not, however, stand in the way of signature by the European Commmunity, whose competence as regards the convention is limited.