§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many records relating to the Falkland Islands are withheld from the public domain under section (5)(1) of the Public Records Act 1958.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is having discussions through third parties with the Argentine Government about the permanent establishment of fishery protection vessels round the Falklands.
§ Mr. WhitneyNo.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reply he has had from the European Community and its presidency about the reciprocal lifting of commercial and economic sanctions imposed at the time of the Falklands conflict on Argentina.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe presidency of the European Community approached the Argentine authorities on five occasions in 1982 and 1983 to suggest discussion of the full normalisation of economic and commercial relations between the Community and Argentina.
The then Argentine Government consistently declined to enter into substantive discussions, arguing that it was necessary first for Britain to comply with United Nations Resolutions which called unacceptably for negotiations about sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
We regret that the Argentine Government brought last week's talks in Berne, at which we proposed the normalisation of our commercial relations, to a premature end by failing to proceed upon the basis that had been clearly agreed.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a further statement on his consideration with the Falkland islanders of the future structure of their internal government and electoral system;
(2) what further discussions he has had with Falkland islanders on the future of the constitution.
§ Mr. WhitneyAs is normal in such cases, the draft of the new constitution is now being considered by the Civil Commissioner, after which it will be discussed fully with the elected councillors.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current relations between the civilian and military populations in the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. WhitneyRelations between the civilian and military populations in the Falkland Islands are excellent.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) carpenters, (b) bakery workers, (c) laundry workers and (d) masons are now in employment in the Falklands.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe numbers of members of these trades employed by the Falkland Islands Government, the Falkland Islands Company and indigenous companies and contractors are as follows:
507W
- (a) 6 plus 4 apprentices
- (b) 1
- (c) 1
- (d) None
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name the distinguished Falkland islanders who have recently visited his Department; and what representations they made about re-establishing a rational working relationship with Argentina.
§ Mr. WhitneyMr. L. G. (Tim) Blake, a Falkland Islands councillor, who is currently on holiday in this country, called on Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials at the beginning of July. Ministers and officials have also had regular dealings with Mr. Adrian Monk, the head of the Falkland Islands Government Office in London, who retired in June, and look forward to continuing these with his successor, Mr. Alastair Cameron. Details of all these discussions are confidential.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for elections in the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. WhitneyUnder the existing constitution of the Falkland Islands, elections must be held every four years unless the Civil Commissioner decides to dissolve the Council before then. The last election was held in September/October 1981. The Civil Commissioner has at present no plans for a premature election.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will define "interest" as Her Majesty's Government understand the term, in relation to the Falkland islanders.
§ Mr. WhitneyWe see the chief interests of the Falkland Islanders as being their security and well-being; and their right to live under a government of their own choosing.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will define "sovereignty", as Her Majesty's Government understand the term, in relation to the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. WhitneyIn relation to any territory, including the Falkland Islands, sovereignty involves the rights and duties of government and defence and, generally, of the exercise of State authority.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the civilian role of the Falklands airport.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 10 July. The new airport, whose construction complies with the recommendation in Lord Shackleton's economic studies in 1976 and 1982, will have a vital civilian and developmental role. It will also allow the rapid reinforcement of the Falklands garrison, should this prove necessary.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration Her Majesty's Government are giving to the 200-mile fishing zone round the Falklands.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Sir J. Biggs-Davison) on 16 July at column60.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the terms in 508W which the Civil Commissioner of the Falklands has given permission for a Texas oil company to prospect for oil in the Falklands.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Falkland Islands Government have issued a licence for on-shore oil prospecting at Douglas station to Firstland Oil and Gas PLC, a wholly British company. We are awaiting precise details of the terms of the licence and I will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of attempted buggery and attempted murder occurring in the construction site at Mount Pleasant have been reported to the police.
§ Mr. WhitneyThis information is not readily available. We are consulting the Civil Commissioner and will write to the hon. Member.