Oral answer to question provided on Monday, 11 October 2010 in the House of Lords, by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative).

Argentina: Falkland Islands

Answer: The noble Lord obviously has considerable experience on this issue. If he is talking about the decolonisation committee, I am not sure that we are even entitled to be on it. The two members of the Falkland Islands Government have a place on that committee and have made their views clear. I am not sure that those views prevail or are the majority view, but they have made them very clear indeed; namely, that Falkland Islanders do not wish to end their present status. They wish to remain as they are. That is the right approach. If the noble Lord is talking about another committee, perhaps I should have a word with him afterwards about that.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Monday, 11 October 2010 by Lord Grenfell (Labour).

Question: My Lords, I declare an interest as someone who appeared before the decolonisation committee many times in the 1970s, defending the World Bank’s position that it could not lend money to the PLO because it was not a sovereign state. Does the Minister agree that the empty-chair policy is not very enlightened? As we have heard, many Commonwealth countries are members of that committee. Would it not be appropriate for at least the United Kingdom to be present?

Secondary information

Type: Oral answer to question
Reference: 721 c332
Session: 2010-12
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Falkland Islands Sovereignty Argentina UN Special Committee on Decolonisation
Link: View this Oral answer to question on www.publications.parliament.uk