Mr. Skeet asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the status of the projected convention on the law of the sea; and whether there is any likelihood of the terms and provisions becoming generally acceptable in 1982.

Mr. Hurd: The text as revised at the last session of the conference is now the official draft of the Law of the Sea convention, but is still subject to consultations and negotiations on outstanding issues. I hesitate to speculate on the likely course of the session next spring or on the propect of a successful outcome next year.