evidence: Never has such a small piece of land caused so much of a stushie, one that has been going on for centuries. Ireland and Denmark, via the Faroe Islands, have also claimed Rockall as theirs in the past, due probably to the fishing and oil exploration rights that will come with possession of the islet. [...] In terms of proximity there is little doubt that Rockall is Scottish. The nearest point of Scotland to Rockall is Soay in the St Kilda archipelago which is some 187 miles, 301km, to the east. The nearest point of Ireland, which now does not actually have a formal claim to Rockall but which argues that it cannot be used to determine territorial rights, is Tory Island, some 263 miles, 432km, to the south-east of Rockall. [...] Ten years later, Ireland was still arguing about Rockall, and the Westminster Parliament was still debating. Sir John Biggs-Davison asked Secretary of State for Scotland George Younger: "In view of renewed interest by certain politicians in the Irish Republic, will my right hon. Friend affirm, on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, that though it be uninhabited, and notwithstanding any negotiations on the law of the sea, Rockall is sovereign territory of the United Kingdom and will so remain?"