§ Mr. Soamesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the basis of the United Kingdom's claim to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands; and from when such documentary evidence as there is dates.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe United Kingdom title to the Falkland Islands is derived from early settlement, reinforced by formal claims in the name of the Crown and completed by continuous and effective occupation for over 150 years. The exercise of sovereignty by the United Kingdom over the islands has, furthermore, consistently been shown to accord with the freely expressed wishes, through their elected representatives, of the people who form their permanent population.
The earliest documentary evidence relevant to our title to the Falkland Islands dates from the 1760s.
§ Mr. Soamesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the land in the Falklands is now owned by companies registered overseas.
§ Mr. WhitneyI am consulting the Falkland Islands Government and will write to my hon. Friend.