HC Deb 09 June 1969 vol 784 cc959-64
Sir Alec Douglas-Home

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the situation in Gibraltar.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Michael Stewart)

The Spanish authorities have now completely closed the land frontier with Gibraltar. About 4,600 Spanish day workers with jobs in Gibraltar are now prevented by their own Government from following the employment they have had, in the majority of cases, for many years. I understand that the Algeciras ferry is still running.

The Spanish communiqué issued on Friday, 6th June, referred to the new Constitution of Gibraltar, published there on Friday, 30th May, as being in: open disregard of United Nations resolutions and contrary to the Treaty of Utrecht". The new Constitution, however, does not entail any change in Gibraltar's international status. It provides for the devolution of a greater degree of responsibility in domestic matters to Gibraltar Ministers.

We have, of course, been in close touch with the Governor over these latest developments. His reports indicate that the people of Gibraltar have remained calm.

The Governor is confident that essential services will be maintained. There are bound to be temporary difficulties, with the withdrawal of about 30 per cent.

of the labour force, but steps are being taken to deal with the shortage of labour in the private sector and hotels are expected to import staff.

I am glad to say that the report of Lord Beeching and Lord Delacourt-Smith on Gibraltar's manpower probems has now been presented to the Governor.

As the Governor has said, Gibraltar's watchword is "business as usual". It remains the declared policy of Her Majesty's Government to support Gibraltar and we will continue to sustain its people.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

The House will be glad to hear the last words of the Secretary of State. We all share his regret that the people of Gibraltar should be exposed to this experience.

Can the right hon. Gentleman make available the results of the Beeching mission on the employment problem to the House at some future date? I take it that the Governor is acting on them and that they are specific?

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider, when he is urged to retaliate, the effect that any retaliatory action would have on the people of Gibraltar? That must be the first consideration in our minds. Would he also consider whether new permits for Spaniards employed in Britain should be issued as long as these restrictions last?

Mr. Stewart

On the first point, the Beeching Report was available only at the end of last week. I have no doubt that I shall be able to find an opportunity to give the House further information about this, and, if necessary, about the progress of events in Gibraltar.

We have on several occasions considered the possibility of retaliation, but we believe that the test to be applied to any proposal of this kind is: Will it help the people of Gibraltar; will it influence the policies of the Spanish Government; and will it be such as not to do Britain and Gibraltar more injury than it might do Spain?

I am very reluctant to take measures which involve striking at people who cannot be held responsible for what the Spanish Government have done. It seems to me that the ignominy of damaging the interests of people whose only wish is to do a useful job ought to be confined to the Spanish Government.

Mr. George Jeger

Is my right hon. Friend aware that reprisals taken to restrict the tourist traffic from Britain to Spain would not adversely affect Gibraltar? Would he consider that aspect of the situation? Further, to break the blockade would he not consider increasing the number of flights between Britain and Gibraltar, and between Gibraltar and Morocco, and institute new flights between Gibraltar and Portugal?

Mr. Stewart

The measures my hon. Friend has referred to at the end of his question will certainly be considered. There have been contingency plans ready for some time to deal with the labour problem that will arise in Gibraltar. As to British holiday traffic to Spain, I do not think that it is possible for the Government to tell British subjects that they cannot go to a particular foreign country for their holidays. I am bound to say that anyone in this country who has any sympathy with our fellow citizens in Gibraltar will, I hope, think twice and many times before in future making plans to go to Spain for a holiday. They might consider going to Gibraltar instead.

Mr. Sandys

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider further the possibility of action which will bring pressure to bear on the Spanish Government to lift this wholly unjustifiable blockade of the people of Gibraltar? Does he not agree that we really cannot take this aggressive and provocative action by the Spanish Government entirely lying down?

Mr. Stewart

We are certainly not taking this lying down. The really vital thing for the Government at this time is to make it quite clear that we shall take whatever measures are necessary to support the people of Gibraltar and to enable them to sustain their economy and their life during these difficulties.

I should perhaps add this: that in this whole matter our overriding concern is the Gibraltarians themselves, as human beings. The Spanish charge that we are in Gibraltar to defend military facilities is simply an attempt to obscure the truth.

Mr. Maclennan

While fully understanding my right hon. Friend's restraint in this matter, may I ask him to make it plain to the Spanish Government that the British people are unalterably behind the Gibraltarians and that they are not dealing in this matter merely with the population of Gibraltar? Can he say whether he is satisfied that the plans for the development of the Gibraltarian economy will be able to go ahead without any set-back due to this loss of labour?

Mr. Stewart

On the last point, there are bound to be some difficulties with a reduction of 30 per cent. of the labour force, but with the plans which have already been made, and the advice we shall get from Lord Beeching, I believe that we shall be able to go ahead.

As to making our attitude clear to the Spanish Government, I do not think that there is any doubt about that at all. We have made it clear on a number of occasions and I do so again now.

Mr. Thorpe

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in expressing his solidarity for the people of Gibraltar he speaks for the entire House? Has he considered discussions with the Government of Malta to see whether there could be a transference of labour from Malta to replace those who are lost from the dockyard?

Secondly, would he look at the number of British ships currently bunkering in the Canaries and other ports, to the benefit of the Spanish economy, so that that might be discontinued?

Thirdly, would he make it plain to the Spanish Government that although it is very difficult for a Fascist régime to realise these things, in democracies we do like people to live under régimes which they choose; and that is precisely what the people of Gibraltar have done?

Mr. Stewart

I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that I made that point clear to the Spanish Government on a great many occasions. I will examine the central part of his question. As for the first point, there are sources of labour in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar other than Spain. The contingency plans include encouragement of employers to recruit such labour if they have not done so already, and to help them with accommodation.

Sir Dingle Foot

Will my right hon. Friend continue to make it clear to the Spanish Government, and to the whole world, that our obligations towards the people of Gibraltar are determined not by the Treaty of Utrecht, but by the Charter of the United Nations, which obliges us to have regard to the wishes and aspirations of the people themselves and that, if there be any conflicts between the Charter and the Treaty, under international law the Charter must prevail?

Mr. Stewart

Yes, Sir. I think that in law, in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, and in justice, and in accordance with the provisions of the Charter, there is no doubt that we are right.

Sir A. V. Harvey

I appreciate the difficulties, but will the right hon. Gentleman explain what he means when he says that he has "made it clear"? He has said the same thing about Gerald Brooke and Mr. Grey in China. Will he, without saying anything about it today, think how we can make it abundantly clear to Spain that Britain will uphold its rights in this matter?

Mr. Stewart

I doubt whether the hon. Gentleman's attempt to bring in those other cases is helpful at present. I have no doubt whatever that the Spanish Government now know full well that Her Majesty's Government, with the full support of the House and the country, will do whatever is necessary to maintain the freedom and way of life of the people of Gibraltar.

Mr. Luard

Would my right hon. Friend consider starting discussions with the Government of Morocco to see whether it would be possible to replace some of the labour which has been prevented from going to Gibraltar with Moroccan labour? Would he not agree that we have a very clear common interest with Morocco here? While Spain declares that, in the case of Gibraltar, the principle of territorial integrity prevails over the wishes of the people, in the case of the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, she maintains exactly the opposite view We could expect some support from Morocco on this issue.

Mr. Stewart

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave earlier to the Leader of the Liberal Party.

Mr. Tilney

Could the right hon. Gentleman tell the House the possible cost financially of Spanish action both for Gibraltar and for this country? Could not part of this cost be met out of some of the very substantial remittances which go from this country to Spain?

Mr. Stewart

I could not give a cost figure offhand. I should like to consider, but I must say with some doubt, the second suggestion.

Mr. Molloy

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Spanish Government are already claiming that British interest is based solely on the military interest in Gilbraltar? Would he make it transparently clear that, as far as we are concerned, the fundamental feature is the referendum recently carried out in Gilbraltar and the decision of the people? Would he consider not only making promises this afternoon to reassure the people of Gibraltar, but including in those promises some form of aid which might be necessary in the forthcoming months to beat the Spanish policy, which is simply one of spite born out of wrath?

Mr. Stewart

We should provide whatever aid is necessary for the people of Gibraltar. I reiterate that it is entirely true that the sole reason for the stand which we take in Gibraltar is the wishes of the Gibraltarians, which are not in doubt and which, as was pointed out in an earlier supplementary question, are by themselves, under the Charter of the United Nations, sufficient justification for the stand which we continue to take.