§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What participation from the British Government and from British scientists there now is in developments concerning the protection of the Arctic environment, whether they are taking part in the International Arctic Sciences Committee's activities and what their view is of the treaty recently proposed by the Government of Finland to some nations with Arctic territory and responsibilities, but not to the United Kingdom.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Glenarthur)British scientists, with our support, are involved in a range of research into the Arctic environment, from both regional and global perspectives. They play an active part in the work of international organisations such as the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board.
The International Arctic Sciences Committee has not yet been set up. If and when it is, we expect British scientists to be able to participate.
1470WAThe Government of Finland have proposed the holding of an Arctic Environmental Protection Conference in Helsinki. Our view, which we have made known to the Government of Finland, is that a regional approach is not necessarily the best way to deal with environmental problems such as depletion of the ozone layer and global warming which are not territorially limited but are of world-wide effect and concern.