Rockall dispute set to go to UN

THE United Nations is expected to examine claims to the ownership of the remote islet of Rockall within weeks after Denmark made a submission.

Ownership of the uninhabited outcrop in the Atlantic has long been disputed by Britain, Ireland, Denmark and the Faroe Islands and Iceland.

Denmark and the Faroe Islands made a submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) early in December. A statement on the UN website says that it will be considered at the commission's meeting in New York in March.

Rockall is situated around 300 miles west of Scotland and is 19m high, 25m across and 30m wide. It is believed oil and gas may be found in the seabed around Rockall, while there are also fishing grounds around it.

The four nations have been involved in quadrilateral talks on ownership for several years, with more scheduled for May.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We note that Denmark made its submission in respect of 'the Faroe-Rockall Plateau Region' on 2 December. We are studying this, and the Note Verbale which Denmark presented to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, also on 2 December. The UK can join with the Kingdom of Denmark and reaffirm its own commitment to the quadrilateral talks."

The Royal Navy annexed Rockall in 1955 and the Island Of Rockall Act 1972 declared it part of the Western Isles.