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invitation to him to visit Syria. Meanwhile we are in touch with the Syrian Government about recent developments in the Middle East.
British Possessions and Dependencies
26. Mr. Home Robertson asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the British possessions and dependencies that are subject to any form of territorial claim by other nations.
Mr. Onslow: The following territories are subject to territorial claims by other States:
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
Falkland Islands
Falkland Island Dependencies Gibraltar
Hong Kong
Turkey
27. Mr. Newens asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations between the United Kingdom and Turkey.
Mr. Hurd: Britain and Turkey are and have been for many years linked in close friendship as members of the Atlantic alliance, whose summit meeting starts this evening. The present leaders of Turkey have stated that it is their intention to return the country to democratic forms of government by 1984 and we have no reason to doubt this. For the rest, we are guided by the statement issued by the Foreign Ministers of the then nine member States of the European Community on 15 September 1980.
Middle East
29. Mr. Hoyle asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to visit the Middle East in the near future; and which countries he plans to visit.
Mr. Hurd: My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to visit the Middle East. He hopes to visit Syria and Jordan and the Gulf as soon as circumstances permit.
30. Mr. Walters asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards peace in the Middle East.
Mr. Hurd: The first objective must be to restore the ceasefire in Lebanon. We fully support United States and United Nations efforts to that end. Thereafter there is a need to find a solution to the Palestinian problem. Without this there can be no lasting peace settlement in the Middle East. The Ten remain ready to play their part in achieving such a settlement on the basis of the Venice principles.
14. Mr. Tony Marlow asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of Her Majesty's Government policies towards a peaceful settlement in the Middle East.
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Palestinian cause by military action. We will do anything we can to help all those concerned to find a basis on which they can negotiate.
European Movement
Mr. Teddy Taylor asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply given by the Lord Privy Seal on 1 February, Official Report, column 25, if Her Majesty's Government have decided whether to make any grants or to pay any subsidies to the European Movement for 1982-83.
Mr. Hurd: Subject to the agreement of the House which will be sought in the usual way, provision is being made for a grant of up to £30,000 towards the Educational programme of the European Movement-the same sum as last year. We have not yet taken a final decision on the sum which will actually be provided this year.
see (19)
Overseas Student Trust
Sir Anthony Kershaw asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's response to the study by the Overseas Student Trust published on 6 June.
Mr. Pym: On 19 May 1981 my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mr. Chapman)--[Vol. 5, c. 63]—that with our encouragement and co-operation the Overseas Students Trust was embarking on further work with a view to drawing up a range of options. The study published on 6 June constitutes that further work and represents in the Government's view a comprehensive and constructive contribution to the development of future policy on overseas students. It contains a number of recommendations which the Government will consider seriously, although, as the trust was advised when it embarked on its work, no new money can be made available. Account will need to be taken of the balance of requirements for home and overseas students. Reallocation of resources within existing programmes will need to be measured against overall priorities. Some proposals will involve further consulta- tion with different interests.
In welcoming the study the Government have the following immediate comments on the study's main propositions.
First, the Government recognise the importance of encouraging overseas students to come to the United Kingdom and that there are educational, economic and foreign policy reasons for so doing.
Secondly, we are glad that the study recognises that there can be no return to the previous policy of indiscriminate and open-ended subsidy and we agree that a principal mechanism should be schemes of support targeted at particular groups of students.
Thirdly, we accept that it is not desirable to control overseas student numbers by a system of quotas.
Fourthly, we agree in principle that the allocation of resources under existing student support schemes should be re-examined.
Mr. Hurd: Events in Lebanon show clearly the need for a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East. Fifthly, we intend to give further study, subject to In the Government's view this will have to be based on the existing constraints on our financial resources, to the principle that Israel and the Palestinians accept each others Suggestions for schemes involving the co-operation and rights. The Palestinians will not gain their objectivesupport of foreign and Commonwealth Governments and through violence, nor will the Israelis destroy the
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