HL Deb 06 July 1972 vol 332 cc1505-7

3.10 p.m.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, within the process of thinking together about Gibraltar by the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and the Spanish Foreign Minister, whether detailed proposals will be under discussion this month or whether the talks will be of an exploratory nature.

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, the forthcoming talks will be a continuation of the process of "thinking together" which began when my right honourable friend visited Madrid earlier this year. They will be exploratory, confidential and without commitment.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend, especially for the latter part of her Answer—that is, that the talks will be without commitment—may I ask her whether, within this exploration that is to take place, it is Her Majesty's Government's intention, on the long-term basis, to seek to achieve an agreement with Spain similar to that reached with the Argentine Government over the Falkland Islands and presented last month to Parliament? This agreement does not in any way change the position regarding sovereignty, but does improve air and sea communications, and proposes machinery to facilitate trade and to permit a greater ease of commercial transactions between the mainland and that territory. On the long-term basis, would Her Majesty's Government consider such a proposal?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, as I said to my noble friend when he last raised this Question, we think that it would be of very great help to any exploratory talks if the restrictions on residents in Gibraltar could be lifted. In that sense, we certainly hope that that will come about. But, as I said, these are exploratory talks.

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, while welcoming what the noble Baroness has said about lifting the appalling pressures which are being placed upon the people of Gibraltar, and in view of what she said about "no commitment", may I ask whether, under the preamble to the Constitution, Her Majesty's Government intend to consult the people of Gibraltar through a referendum, for which there is a precedent, about whatever proposals Her Majesty's Government may wish to make, and whether these would be open to consultation and approval by the people of Gibraltar? Also, will the noble Baroness undertake that there will be no economic or financial pressures placed upon the colony of Gibraltar in connection with this matter?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I would only say again that we have always made it clear that we stand by the Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969.