asked Her Majesty's Government:On what grounds they have decided not to implement recommendations 108 and 109 of the Renton Committee on Legislation.

After very careful consideration of these recommendations, the Government were not satisfied that the Statute Law Committee was an appropriate body to discharge the functions proposed for it by the Renton Committee or that the proposal to keep the Statute Book under continuous review was likely to lead to any worthwhile improvement in the drafting of legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the main points on which the International Civil Aviation Organisation, at its special conference in Rome, failed to reach agreement concerning sanctions to be applied against countries or Governments that connive at terrorism and hijacking.

The Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation held in Rome in August 1973 rejected a proposal by the United Kingdom and Swiss delegations for an amendment to the Chicago Convention, by which contracting States would deny overflying rights to an airline of a State not acting in conformity with the requirements of The Hague and Montreal Conventions. The proposal was rejected by 39 votes to 25 with 18 abstentions.Opposition to this proposal was on the grounds that collective sanctions could be imposed only with the authority of the Security Council. Doubts w ere also expressed about the practicability of the systems proposed, appeal procedures, the application of sanctions against States which did not possess airlines and the position of multinational carriers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which international sanctions in their view are likely to be the most effective in preventing hijacking attempts.

Her Majesty's Government believe that the only sanctions likely to be effective are collective sanctions agreed by the international community as a whole. But the primary method of preventing hijacking is by the universal application of adequate security measures, in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation Standards and Recommendations. We are taking action to concert this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they consider that a widespread denial of overflying rights might follow an imperfectly concerted attempt to apply sanctions for the prevention of hijacking and other forms of international terrorism.

The operation of international air services including the right to fly over States en route is governed by a closely regulated system of bilateral and multilateral agreements. Denial of overflying rights, particularly to the extent that it was in derogation from these agreements, might lead to retaliation by other parties to them. The United Kingdom, as the second largest State in the world in terms of international scheduled air services, would be adversely affected by any disruption of the existing arrangements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the position of this country, situated as it is at the hub of the international air transport lines, does not give it an unusual advantage and a special opportunity for giving a lead to the rest of the world by being the first to enforce sanctions against States that connive at international terrorism.

None of our discussions in international fora has given any grounds for thinking that sanctions imposed unilaterally by the United Kingdom would either be effective or be followed by similar action by many other leading aviation countries. We continue, however, to take every opportunity in the International Civil Aviation Organisation and elsewhere to press for effective international security measures and for the relevant International Conventions to be more widely ratified.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will now make available the information relating to the consideration of the European Assembly Elections Bill in the House of Commons

promised by the noble Lord, the Minister of State at the Home Office, in the

There were substantial debates on what are now Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the European Assembly Elections Bill. Clauses 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 and Schedule 2 were not separately debated. Schedule I was not fully debated.House adjourned at nine minutes before seven o'clock.