§ Mr. John BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received proposals from any Antarctic treaty nation regarding a moratorium on minerals mining in Antarctica.
§ Mr. MaudeNo such proposals have been formally put to us. In respect of other proposals for conservation in Antarctica I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 3 May, at column626.
§ Mr. John BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects that his Department will finalise proposals which the United Kingdom is to make to the meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in November.
§ Mr. MaudeI refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 17 July to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), at column494.
§ Mr. John BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whom he will be consulting before the special meeting of the Antarctic treaty parties in November to discuss environmental protection for the Antarctic environment.