HL Deb 03 April 1968 vol 290 cc1225-7
LORD MERRIVALE

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

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is true that Spain intends to apply new frontier restrictions against Gibraltar from April 15 next; whether they will affect British tourists and the economy of the Rock; and what counter-measures they propose to take.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD CHALFONT)

My Lords, the Spanish Minister of Information stated on March 22 that the Spanish Government had decided to apply progressively certain clauses of the Treaty of Utrecht, which he said guaranteed Spain's defence against any possible attempt at expansion of the Gibraltar colonial situation. This might foreshadow new restrictions. But the Spanish Government have not explained the statement or commented on various Press reports to this effect, and I do not propose to speculate either on their intentions or our own reactions. Our views on the question of frontier restrictions at Gibraltar have been made absolutely clear to the Spanish Government.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply, but as a new situation would appear to be emerging, would the noble Lord be prepared to reaffirm the assurance made by the noble Lord, Lord Beswick, on July 27, when he said: If the economy of Gibraltar were to suffer further restrictions, we should then confront a new situation which Her Majesty's Government would then consider, in close consultation, as is customary, with the Government of Gibraltar"?—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 27/7/67; col. 1318.] Should there be new restrictions on April 15, would Her Majesty's Government implement the assurance of the noble Lord, Lord Beswick?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course I reiterate what my noble friend said on that occasion, but I think it would be unwise of me, as it always is unwise, to comment on what would be the action of Her Majesty's Government in a hypothetical situation.

LORD ROWLEY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he will make clear that the Government do not accept the interpretations which are apparently put on the Treaty of Utrecht by the Spanish Government and that if the Spanish Government insist on implementing their own interpretations, the responsibility for the consequences will rest entirely upon the Spanish Government?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, I am in considerable sympathy with what my noble friend has said. We have already made it plain on a number of occasions, most recently at the talks which took place in Madrid last month, that we regard restriction at the Gibraltar frontier as completely unwarranted. But I think that our action in this matter should be, as it has been in the past, to keep open our offer to submit the specific question of Spain's legal obligations about the land frontier to the International Court of Justice and to independent adjudication.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, does the noble Lord not think that this is just wishful thinking, hoping for something impossible, when as a result of the failure of these discussions the official comment on the part of the Spanish Government was that the only thing Her Majesty's Government were interested in was the question of better facilities regarding the use of the British military base, without taking into account the interests of the people of Gibraltar? Does that not appear to be a curious official comment on the part of the Spanish Government after the breakdown of these talks?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, it is up to the noble Lord to place his own construction on the comments he has heard and on reports in the Press. I can only say that from our point of view we have had no official comment from the Spanish Government upon the Press reports and we have had no gloss placed on anything that has been said by them since the talks in Madrid. I can only reiterate that we do not accept that Spain can justifiably prevent communications that have been allowed and exercised for over 250 years. But I think that the noble Lord and the House generally would agree that it usually is unwise in a situation like this to say what we would do if certain circumstances came to pass, when we do not even know that they are going to come to pass.