Written Answers

Written Answers To Questions

Thursday, 23rd September, 1971

Mr Leonard Crickman

asked the Attorney-General whether he will cause an investigation to be made into the complaint made by Mr. Leonard Crickman of Stratford, E.15, that he was not informed of the time, date and place of the case which was instituted against him for repayment of Government funds and that he was unable to enter a defence or appear before the Court's decision on Thursday, 5th August, 1971; and whether he will make a statement.

This case is at present awaiting trial at Bow County Court for hearing on 5th October, and in the circumstances I cannot comment.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Falkland Islands

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make available the full text of the recent agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the Argentine Government on Falkland Islands communications.

The full text of the Joint Statement initialled at Buenos Aires on 1st July and of the Exchange of Notes signed on 5th August between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the Argentina are as follows:

Joint Statement

Special conversations were continued in Buenos Aires from the 21st until the 30th of June, 1971, about communications and movement between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands by delegations of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of the Argentine Republic, the former including participants from the Islands. The conversations were within the general framework of the negotiations recommended by Resolution No. 2065 (XX) of the General Assembly of the United Nations and in accordance with letters addressed to the Secretary-General of the Organisation by the Permanent Representatives of both countries on the 21st of November, 1969 and the 11th of December 1970.

The delegates concluded that, subject to the approval of their Governments, the following

measures should be adopted on the understanding that they may contribute to the process of a definitive solution to the dispute between the two Governments over the Islands which is referred to in Resolution No. 2065 (XX) mentioned above.

1. In order to deal with questions which might arise over the setting up and promotion of communications between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands in both directions, including questions relating to the movement of persons, those which might arise for residents of the Islands while they were on the mainland and those concerning residents of the mainland while they were in the Islands, a special consultative committee should be set up, consisting of representatives of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Embassy, with its headquarters in Buenos Aires. The committee should have its representatives in Port Stanley who would keep it informed.

2. The Argentine Government should issue a document, in the form annexed, to residents of the Falkland Islands irrespective of their nationality who wished to travel to the Argentine mainland, which would allow them free movement within it. A document in the same form issued by the Argentine Government should be the only document needed by residents of the Argentine mainland for journeys to the Falkland Islands.

3. Residents in the Falkland Islands should be exempted by the Argentine Government from all duties, taxes, and any other obligations arising as a result of activities in the Falkland Islands. In addition, residents of the Falkland Islands who go to the Argentine mainland in order to provide services connected with communications should be exempt from taxes on their salaries and other emoluments which they receive from their British employers. The British Government should make no claim on residents of the Argentine mainland who provide services in the Falkland Islands for activities related to communications for taxes on their salaries and other emoluments which they receive from their Argentine employers.

4. The Argentine Government should take the necessary practical measures so that the normal luggage of residents of the Falkland Islands who travel between the Falkland Islands and the Argentine mainland in either direction should be free from the payment of all duties and taxes. Residents of the Falkland Islands should be exempted from the payment of all Argentine duties and taxes in respect of their luggage, household effects and motor cars passing directly through the Argentine mainland towards the Falkland Islands or going abroad through the Argentine mainland. The British Government should take the necessary measures so that the normal luggage of residents of the Argentine mainland who travel between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands in either direction will be exempted from the payment of all duties and taxes.

5. The Argentine Government should take the necessary measures so that each resident of the Islands who establishes a permanent residence on the Argentine mainland may bring in once only free of all duties and taxes all personal effects, household effects and a motor car. Equally, the British Government should take the necessary measures so that each resident on the Argentine mainland who establishes a permanent residence in the Falkland Islands, may bring in once only free of all duties and taxes all personal effects, household effects and a motor car.

6. The British and Argentine Governments should facilitate in the Falkland Islands and on the Argentine mainland respectively, the transit, residence and work of persons directly concerned with practical measures adopted in order to implement and promote communications and movement.

7. The British Government should take the necessary measures to arrange for a regular shipping service for passengers, cargo and mail between the Falkland Islands and the Argentine mainland.

8. The Argentine Government should take the necessary measures to arrange for a regular service of weekly frequency by air for passengers, cargo and mail between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands.

9. Pending the completion of the airfield at Port Stanley, the Argentine Government should provide a temporary service by amphibian aircraft between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands for passengers, cargo and mail. This service should be reviewed from time to time in the light of progress in the construction of the airfield mentioned above.

10. Both Governments should co-operate over the simplifications of administrative practices, regulations and documentation for sea and air transport bearing in mind the need to promote and speed up communications.

11. In order to facilitate the movement of persons born in the Falkland Islands, the Argentine Government should take the necessary measures to exempt them from all obligations related to enlistment and military service. The British Government should declare that in the Falkland Islands non-obligations for enlistment for military service exist.

12. Both Governments should study and exchange views on measures to facilitate trade and to permit a greater ease of commercial transactions.

13. The British and Argentine Governments should take the necessary measures so that postal, telegraphic and telephone communications in both directions between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands are as effective and expeditious as possible.

14. The tariff for postal, telegraphic and telephone communications in both directions between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands should be at a rate equivalent to the internal rate at the place of origin of the communications.

15. Postage stamps on mail travelling between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands in either direction should be cancelled with a mark referring to this Joint Statement. Mail bags should be similarly marked.

16. The Argentine Government should be prepared to co-operate in the health, educational, agricultural and technical fields if so requested. The Argentine Government should arrange for places to be available in schools on the Argentine mainland for the children of residents of the Falkland Islands, and should offer scholarships which should be published from time to time, the number of which should be decided upon in the light of local requirements. Both Governments should continue to exchange views on the matters referred to in this paragraph.

17. Conversations should be continued through the customary diplomatic channels and the next meeting should be held in Port Stanley in 1972.

18. If either Government should decide to terminate the measures referred to above, it should give six months' notice of its decision to the other Government.

Initialled in Buenos Aires on the 1st day of July 1971 by the Heads of the respective delegations.

J.B. D.A.S.

Exchange Of Notes

Your Excellency,

I have the honour to refer to the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations Number 2065 (XX) of the 16th of December 1965 and the letters dated the 21st of November 1969 and the 11th of December 1970 from the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Argentine Republic addressed to the Secretary-General of the Organisation on the question of the Falkland Islands, and also to the Joint Statement on communications and movement between the Argentine mainland and the Falkland Islands initialled in Buenos Aires by the representatives of the two Governments on the 1st of July 1971, and to inform Your Excellency that the Government of the United Kingdom are prepared to conclude an agreement with the Government of the Argentine Republic in the following terms:

1. (a) Since divergence remains between the two Governments regarding the circumstances that should exist for a definite solution to the dispute concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, nothing contained in the Joint Statement referred to above and approved by our two Governments on today's date shall be interpreted as:

(i) a renunciation by either Government of any right of territorial sovereignty over the Falkland Islands or

(ii) a recognition of or support for the other Government's position with regard to territorial sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

(b) no acts or activities taking place as a consequence of the Joint Statement referred to above having been put into operation and while it is in operation shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting, or denying the position of either Government with regard to territorial sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

2. Either Government may denounce this agreement subject to six months' prior notice in writing.

If the foregoing is acceptable to the Government of the Argentine Republic, I have the honour to propose that this Note together with Your Excellency's reply in that sense shall constitute an agreement between the two Governments which shall enter into force on the date of your reply.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.

Home Department

Northern Ireland

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made by Her Majesty's Government for the relief of distress of those individuals whose home, belongings or livelihood have been affected by the disturbances in Northern Ireland since 9th August, 1971.

As was announced on 13th August, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Governments have jointly made available an initial £500,000 for immediate relief and reconstruction in Northern Ireland. This will be additional to payments under existing statutory powers. A widely based Advisory Committee has been established to help with the administration of the scheme. Payments are already being made to those in need.Arrangements have been made for advances to be made from the Contingencies Fund. A supplementary estimate will be presented to Parliament in due course.

Posts And Telecommunications

Ussr (International Postal Convention)

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will seek to raise at the Universal Postal Union breaches by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the International Postal Convention by interfering with affidavits, invitations and other documents addressed by Israeli citizens to relatives in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and necessary to such relatives for the purpose of obtaining visas to leave the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

I have no evidence of a breach of the Universal Postal Convention. Under it the U.S.S.R. can prohibit the importation and circulation by post of such articles as they choose. Her Majesty's Government would of course deplore unwarranted interference with the delivery of mail wherever it occurred.

Social Services

Abortions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, at the present rate of increase in the number of abortions notified, what are the projected figures for each year of the total number of abortions to 1980.

The varying rates of change in the numbers of abortions during the first three years of operation of the Act do not provide a basis on which projections can sensibly be made.

Trade And Industry

Upper Clyde Shipbuilders

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what proposals he has received from companies or persons interested in purchasing the John Brown or Cammell yards from the liquidator of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders; whether the Government will provide financial aid, if necessary; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether normal conditions of production now prevail at the Govan yard of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to a Question by the right hon. Member for Kilmarnock (Mr. Ross).

Seafarers (Training And Navigational Competence)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government to achieve minimum international standards of training and navigational competence among seafarers.

This problem is being studied jointly by the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation and the International Labour Organisation. However to expedite consideration of this complex subject the Maritime Safety Committee of I.M.C.O., when it met last week, on the suggestion of Her Majesty's Government, decided to set up a special sub-committee to prepare detailed proposals on the mandatory application of minimum international standards of training and certification of seafarers and also to lay down the basic principles to be observed in keeping a safe navigational watch including the minimum qualifications of the personnel involved.

Wales

European Economic Community

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for the Welsh Economic Council to discuss with the members of the European Economic Community Commission responsible for regional policy the future of the Welsh economy after Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.

The Chairman of the Welsh Council (Mr. Melvyn Rosser) is leaving today for informal discussions on regional policy matters with officials of the Commission, the United Kingdom Delegation in Brussels and the Belgian and Italian authorities.

Volume 823: debated on Thursday 23 September 1971