Letter from the Second Clerk of the Committee to Richard Cooke, Head, Parliamentary Relations Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 13 November 2007

Seabed claims

Thank you for sending me the FCO's memorandum for the Committee's Overseas Territories inquiry. The Committee has asked me to write to you to request further information relevant to the inquiry.

The Committee would like the FCO to provide an explanation of its initiative to claim sovereignty over sea beds in five areas, as reported in the Guardian on 17 October 2007. The Committee is particularly interested in the claims to territory around Ascension Island, off the British Antarctic Territory, and around the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

I would be most grateful to have your response by Friday 14 December.