§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to(a) ensure the removal of all United Kingdom abandoned bases in Antarctica, (b) repeal the Antarctic Minerals Act 1989 and (c) ratify the 1991 Antarctica environmental protocol.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI have been asked to reply.
The Government are fully committed to implementation of the environmental protocol to the Antarctic treaty. Ratification of the protocol and repeal of the Antarctic Minerals Act 1989 will depend on the introduction of legislation to give effect to the provisions of the protocol.
The British antarctic survey has undertaken a survey of all accessible abandoned United Kingdom bases in Antarctica. A programme either to remove the bases, or to retain some as emergency refuges or historic sites is in preparation.