HL Deb 16 October 1995 vol 566 c85WA
Lord Tebbit

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What they regard as the attributes which characterise or define a self-governing sovereign state.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

Sovereignty is an attribute which under international law resides inherently in any independent state recognised as such. By virtue and in exercise of their sovereignty, states conduct dealings with one another internationally—for example, the conclusion of treaties laying down mutual rights and obligations and the exchange of diplomatic representatives.