HC Deb 26 July 1966 vol 732 cc1416-7
8. Sir W. Teeling

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will, in order to help those Gibraltarians who wish to emigrate to Canada or Australia, make representations to the Canadian and Australian Governments not to insist that Gibraltarians wishing to emigrate must go to Canadian and Australian Government offices in Madrid, as Gibraltarians are then treated as coming from Spain, and as some Gibraltarians are not allowed to enter Spain.

Mr. Hart

I understand that there is very little interest in emigration from Gibraltar, but I am prepared to arrange for this point to be discussed with the appropriate Canadian and Australian authorities.

Sir W. Teeling

Now that the hon. Lady and the right hon. Gentleman are about to take over Gibraltar, will they concentrate very much on this because many people in Gibraltar are hard up and poor and cannot come to England to have themselves medically examined in order to go to Canada or Australia? Will they ask the Australian and Canadian Governments to send people from Madrid to Gibraltar, say, once a month, to study and examine the problems of those people who want to emigrate?

Mrs. Hart

I suppose that this is the kind of point which will emerge during discussions with the Australian and Canadian authorities.