§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent factors and events have influenced Anglo-Irish relations.
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§ Sir Geoffrey Howe[pursuant to his reply, 8 June 1988, c. 608]: I signed an agreement with the Republic of Ireland on the delimitation of the continental shelf in Dublin on 7 November. Copies of the agreement have been placed in the Library of the House.
The agreement lays down boundaries of the continental shelf in the Irish and Celtic seas and the south-west approaches as well as to the west of Scotland, taking full account of the current rules of international law. It removes altogether the need for the arbitration previously announced.
The agreement will bring advantages to both sides, in particular in opening up new areas for the off-shore industries where, in the absence of such an agreement in the past, exploitation was prevented.
I regard this agreement as a very positive outcome of lengthy negotiations, and an equitable solution to a dispute which began nearly 25 years ago.