HC Deb 09 April 1968 vol 762 cc1057-60
10. Mr. Wall

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about a future constitution for Gibraltar.

18. Sir F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he is now able to announce the date, venue and composition of the Gibraltar constitutional conference.

24. Mr. Colin Jackson

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning plans for a future constitution for Gibraltar.

31. Mr. Braine

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether, having regard to the express wish of the Gibraltarians to retain their link with Great Britain, he will now convene the proposed constitutional conference.

Mr. George Thomson

We are having further discussions with Gibraltarian Ministers at the beginning of May. Subject to those discussions, we aim to have the constitutional talks in June.

Mr. Wall

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Gibraltar Constitutional Commission recommended strengthening the tie with this country, more power for the Gibraltar Council and the ending of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act? What will the Government do about these proposals? Does he realise that the Gibraltarians want their status recognised and their future guaranteed by this country?

Mr. Thomson

Yes, Sir; and Her Majesty's Government have given the people of Gibraltar very substantial guarantees indeed. I hoped that the hon. Gentleman would feel that the dates I have now announced show that we are making good progress on this matter. The other questions which he raises will be the subject of these discussions.

Sir F. Bennett

Will the Secretary of State accept from me—I returned from Gibraltar only this morning—that his intimation of dates, though welcome, is much overdue and that the riots which took place over the weekend were not, as his hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State said yesterday, caused by just a few hooligans but, in fact, represented the widespread feeling in Gibraltar that it is about time that Her Majesty's Government got on with talks with Gibraltar and not with Spain?

Mr. Thomson

There are, perhaps, conflicting views about the origin of the troubles in Gibraltar, but I think there is agreement that the actual violence was the work of an unrepresentative group of young hooligans.

Mr. Jackson

While disregarding any conflicting views about recent events, will my right hon. Friend remember the opinion of the people of Gibraltar expressed in the referendum last year? May we have a guarantee that, when the constitutional talks do take place, they will, in their detailed expression, represent a closer move by the people of Gibraltar to this country in a political context?

Mr. Thomson

Her Majesty's Government are determined to play their part in fulfilling the view which the Gibraltarians expressed in the referendum as to their own interest. We shall do everything we can to see that that is fulfilled.

Mr. Braine

Whatever view the Secretary of State may take about last week's incidents, will he agree that these were a reflection of the frustration felt by all Gibraltarians about the continued delay in coming to any agreement about their future? Why are there to be constitutional talks at all, since the people of Gibraltar have emphatically declared their desire to remain British?

Mr. Thomson

Unusually for him, the hon. Gentleman misunderstands the purpose of these talks. The referendum gave a plain statement of where the Gibraltar people regarded their interest as lying, and I have said that we stand by that. The constitutional talks are designed to bring about further advances and improvements in the internal constitution of Gibraltar. These are matters which require careful consideration. I hoped that the dates which I have announced would, after some delay, satisfy the House that we are making progress.

Mr. George Jeger

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the feeling in Gibraltar is that we have wasted far too much time discussing extraneous matters with Spain instead of discussing with the people of Gibraltar how they can be tied more closely to Britain, which is what they want? Will he give a pledge that there will be no more discussions with Spain until a satisfactory solution between the Gibraltarians and ourselves has been arrived at?

Mr. Thomson

Questions about the discussions with Spain are still questions for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. I assure my hon. Friend that there is no connection whatever between any talks which may have taken place with Spain in the past and the timing of these constitutional discussions. The only consideration in regard to the constitutional discussions has been the need to do the work of preparation adequately and to settle a timetable related to the interests of the Gibraltarians.