Gibraltar (Hansard, 16 June 1969)

20. Mr. Edward M. Taylor
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present situation in Gibraltar.

38. Mr. Colin Jackson
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the situation in Gibraltar.

§ Mr. Whitlock
The situation in Gibraltar remains calm. Everyone is co-operating to ensure that the life of the comunity goes on with as little disturbance as possible. The people of Gibraltar are adapting themselves admirably and with characteristic resourcefulness to meet the new situation.
In the view of Her Majesty's Government, the latest Spanish move is a wholly unproductive one likely to postpone still further any solution to the Gibraltar problem.

Mr. Taylor
In view of the appalling restrictions which have been imposed, will Her Majesty's Government make a point of reminding the Spanish Government of the massive contribution which was made to Spain's economy by the 1¼ million British tourists who visited Spain last year? Will they also remind the Spanish Government that a policy of economic sanctions can never undermine the spirit of a proud and independent people?

§ Mr. Whitlock
All those points have been very strongly made to the Spanish Government on repeated occasions.

Mr. Jackson
What immediate arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth functioning of the dockyard following the withdrawal of Spanish labour? What request, if any, has been made by the Gibraltar Government for help for the construction trade in respect of the hotel industry?

§ Mr. Whitlock
My hon. Friend's supplementary question about the dockyard should really be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, but I understand that there is most certainly no intention of closing the dockyard or of altering its present programme. The tourist industry is being developed as speedily as possible.

§ Mr. Braine
Is it not a fact that more than a year ago, in the face of mounting pressure from Spain, the then Commonwealth Secretary made a promise, on the soil of Gibraltar, that a survey of manpower requirements would be put in hand? Why was the report of that survey put in the hands of the Governor only a few days ago, after the Spaniards had closed the frontier and withdrawn Spanish labour?

§ Mr. Whitlock
As the hon. Gentleman said, the report of the Beeching Mission on Gibraltar's manpower requirements has now been presented to the Governor. As the Governor said last week, the withdrawal of the Spanish labour force adds increased urgency to the problem of the reorganisation and redeployment of Gibraltar's manpower. However, it will be some time, remembering that the report deals with complex manpower planning matters, before any statement on its recommendations can be made.

§ Mr. Braine
May I press the point, since the hon. Gentleman has completely evaded the issue? Is it not clear that in the face of pressure that was predictable this report should have been in the hands of the Gibraltarian authorities a considerable time ago? Why was not this report presented to the Governor until after the Spaniards had taken action which led to the withdrawal of Spanish labour?

§ Mr. Whitlock
That question should be directed to the Beeching Mission—[Interruption.]—which has only now produced its report. Contingency plans for possible eventualities have been in existence for a considerable time.

§ Mr. George Jeger
Is my hon. Friend aware that a number of Ministers are concerned with the affairs of Gibraltar? He referred to the Minister of Defence regarding the dockyard, and he will no doubt refer to the President of the Board of Trade in connection with flights to and from Gibraltar. Should not one Minister be co-ordinating the activities of the Government, to whom we could address our Questions, so that the Minister of Public Building and Works would not have been put in the position of going to Gibraltar two days before the frontier was closed and saying that the Spaniards would not withdraw their labour?

§ Mr. Whitlock
I should have thought that the varying responsibilities of Ministers were well understood.

§ Sir A. V. Harvey
Is the Minister aware that what the right hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell) said is absolutely right, that we need the Foreign Secretary here to answer these Questions? Is he also aware that what he has told the House so far amounts to absolutely nothing? How many men and women have been sent out to assist with the problems of Gibraltar?

§ Mr. Whitlock
As my right hon. Friend has said, we will sustain the Gibraltarians in any situation which faces them, and that pledge will be kept.