Falkland Islands

My Lords, the UK remains steadfast in its support for the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination. This is not the first time Argentina has made economic threats against the Falklands. These threats have not prevented the community’s remarkable economic development, and we have made clear to Argentina that the measures announced by President Milei will not change the UK’s unwavering commitment to the islands. The US is our closest ally. It can have no doubt about our unwavering support for the islanders.

I thank the noble Baroness for her reply and, indeed, welcome her to the Dispatch Box and her new job. I look forward to many happy exchanges with her in the future. The Falkland Islands are British. We fought to defend them in 1982 and there should be no doubt of our national resolve. Argentina’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric in respect of the Falkland Islands has no doubt been emboldened by news that the United States is reviewing its position on British sovereignty and, of course, by this Government’s restated policy of handing over another UK overseas territory, the Chagos Islands, to Mauritius. They have been emboldened by our weakness. Can the Minister reassure us that the Government are preparing for all eventualities, including military scenarios, and can she confirm that they could provide a real deterrent to Argentina by ditching their failed policy of handing over the Chagos Islands?

I thank the noble Lord for his kind welcome, and I remember our CPA trip to Singapore and Malaysia.

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Very fond memories. Let me be clear. The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is non-negotiable as far as the UK Government are concerned. It always has been and it always will be. The whole House will I am sure agree with me that we need to reiterate that fundamental principle. Political unity here is really important. The noble Lord mentions defensive forces. We have a variety of military capabilities there for defensive purposes, but it is very important that we do not speculate and get into hypothetical situations.

I also welcome the Minister to her brief. I should perhaps declare I was on that visit too, but I saw nothing untoward between the Minister and the noble Lord, Lord Callanan. This is also my first opportunity—since she is here—to thank the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, for her service as Minister as well. I have had the privilege of visiting the Falkland Islands and I will relay to the House what I said to the Falkland Islanders. As far as these Benches are concerned, sovereignty has been, is and always will be in the hands of the Falkland Islanders themselves; sovereignty should be under no question whatever. There will be obvious concern among the islanders that, as a result of what President Trump has been saying, there could be question marks over the health arrangements with our relationship with Chile and Uruguay; there could be concerns over the integrity of the territorial waters, which have seen almost-ingressions by foreign-flagged vessels from China; and there could be question marks over the lifeline satellite communication services. So can the Minister reassure not only this House but the islanders themselves that, when we send very strong signals to our closest ally in the White House, all those services are part of sovereignty too.

First, let me thank the noble Lord for his kind words and fond memories of the CPA visit. I also echo what he said about my noble friend Lady Chapman. With regard to the US, I assure him that we, of course, engage regularly with the US on a range of foreign policy issues. I am sure he will understand that I cannot give a running commentary on all of our engagement with the US, but it is our closest ally. We engage on a number of issues, including this one, and of course I take on board the points that he has made about the areas that may be of particular concern to the Falkland Islanders.

The Minister is aware that the UK is a prominent member of the CPTPP. Argentina applied to join a few weeks ago. Is this a point of leverage that can be used against a country that is threatening our sovereignty?

The noble Lord raises an important point but, just to be clear, accession to the CPTPP is a matter for the member states themselves. We do not comment on individual applications for accession.

My Lords, I commend the Minister for the forthright statement in support of the Falklands and the Falkland Islanders. But does she share my concern at the interview given last week on Radio 4’s “Today” by the noble Lord, Lord McDonald, the previous head of the Foreign Office, which indicated quite outrageously that, in effect, Britain should consider handing them over and gave arguments regarding how much money was being spent and whether the British public would wear that? This was extremely unhelpful. Can she dissociate the department from that?

I thank the noble Lord for that question. Let me be clear that we do not agree with that position. As I have said, the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is non-negotiable as far as the UK Government are concerned. I welcome the political unity that has been shown today, because it is important that this House and the other House send that message, so that it is very clear that all political parties are united on this issue.

My Lords, as a former Overseas Territories Minister, I too welcome the noble Baroness to the Dispatch Box, and her strong statement. I also recognise the services of the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman. What representations have been made to Argentina directly? As someone who served in the Foreign Office for a long time, I know that diplomacy matters, but that diplomacy comes with the hard metal glove of our military strength. I commend the fact that the Minister of Defence is sitting to the noble Baroness’s right. Would she reiterate, once again, as my noble friend said, that military action is on the table if required. That message may be sent privately to the Argentinians. What bilateral representations have been made directly?

I thank the noble Lord for that question and I should say that I am always very reassured when the noble Lord from the Ministry of Defence is sitting next to me. I am very confident that Argentina understands the message that the UK Government and this House are sending. The Foreign Secretary posted on X: “The UK’s position on the Falkland Islands is unwavering. The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders. Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it”. I touched previously on the defensive forces that we have in the area, but I hope the noble Lord will understand that I do not want to enter into hypothetical discussions.

My Lords, I welcome the noble Baroness to her position and the unanimity of the House on this issue. Argentina obviously has a lot of international support for its claim, which worries me. If a UN advisory council committee were to say that the Falklands were actually Argentinian, would we then do exactly as we have with the Chagos Islands and say that that has to be complied with?

Our position is clear, as I have said. When it comes to raising this issue in international fora, I should say that my noble friend Lord Collins attended the Organization of American States on 24 June to provide a right of reply on the Falkland Islands on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, asserting UK sovereignty over the islands and their right of the islanders to choose their own future. We use those opportunities, at international level, to make our position absolutely clear.

I welcome my noble friend to her post. Is it not a good thing that we are demonstrating clarity in our determination to defend the Falkland islanders and their right to self-determination? It stands in marked contrast to the Thatcher Government, who displayed weakness, took ships away from the Falklands and almost said to the Argentinians, “There you are, it’s yours if you want it”. We are standing in contrast to that and I congratulate the Government on it.

I thank the noble Lord for his welcome and for his support for our position. I reiterate again how important it is that there is a clear message from this House itself, so I welcome the political consensus that we have seen this afternoon and thank the noble Lord for his kind words.

I also join in the congratulations to the noble Baroness on her recent appointment to the Front Bench. It is extremely important that, whatever we say in this country, we say it together. I think the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, were unfortunate and an attempt to rewrite history. That is not what happened last time. Would the noble Baroness consider calling in the Argentinian ambassador? I am all for not ratcheting this up, because it is purely electoral posturing by the President of Argentina, but would she take this opportunity to call in the Argentinian ambassador to make these points again: that the future of the Falkland Islands depends on the people of the Falkland Islands? As they remain British and wish to remain British, they will enjoy the full protection of this country and everything that that may mean. At the same time, would she remind those who suggest that this is a transplanted population that there have been many generations of people living on those islands: far longer, perhaps, than the ancestors of the President of Argentina have been living in Argentina, having arrived from Calabria in 1926?

I thank the noble Lord for his welcome. The message that will be heard today from this House reiterates our position. Our position is clear: the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is non-negotiable as far as the UK Government are concerned. That is a clear message. I have every confidence that that message will have been heard.

I warmly welcome the Minister to her well-deserved new post. Will she update the House on where we have got to with the important investment in the oil field 140 miles north of the Falklands? Is that not also going to be transformational for the people of the Falklands, who rightly wish to remain British?

I thank the noble Lord for his kind comments. With regard to the oil field and the investment there, that is decided by the Falklands Islands people. It is their investment. We are absolutely supportive of the decision that they have made in that regard.