§ Lord Stone of Blackheathasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there has been any decision on the location of the proposed Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. [HL522]
§ Baroness AmosMy right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs confirmed to Dr Adalberto Rodriquez Giavarini, Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, during their talks in London on 17 July that, in response to commitments made by the Argentine Minister of Defence, Dr Horatio Jaunarena, in Buenos Aires on 6 July to strengthen the civilian scientific elements of Argentina's Antarctic programme, the UK would join a consensus on the location of the proposed Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. This was relayed to the recent meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XXIV) in St Petersburg. The texts of the Argentine and UK Statements of 6 July and 17 July respectively have been deposited in the Library of the House.