§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the transfer to Chile of the British Antartic base at Adelaide Island.
§ Mr. RentonAdelaide station is an abandoned Antarctic base whose facilities were owned by the Natural Environmental Research Council and for which it had no further use. We therefore agreed to a proposal from the Chilean Antarctic Institute that Chile might use and assume responsibility for these facilities, within the framework of article IV of the Antarctic treaty.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with the Government of Chile about the implications of the transfer of the Adelaide Island base to Chile on territorial claims for the neighbouring area; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonChile has accepted that its assumption of responsibility for the facilities at Adelaide station is within the framework of the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty and, in particular, of article IV. We do not consider that British sovereignty over the British Antarctic territory is in any way prejudiced by this arrangement.