§ 4.3 p.m.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD SHEPHERD)My Lords, with permission I should like to make a Statement on the Gibraltar constitutional talks. I am glad to inform the House that the constitutional talks which I have been conducting in Gibraltar ended yesterday evening in full agreement. All delegates to the Conference recorded their deep satisfaction at the outcome, both on the question of the link with Britain and with regard to the changes in the internal constitutional arrangements. A lengthy communiqué was issued regarding the details of the agreed new arrangements. I am arranging for copies of the communiqué to be placed in the Library of the House.
THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGHMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for making that Statement in this House. We always 1264 welcome him back after his exhausting trips abroad, and we also welcome the Statement, although it is not very communicative. I hope that we can welcome the agreement which, one gathers, was reached unanimously despite Spanish blandishments. I will study the communiqué carefully. It had not arrived in the Library a few minutes ago. Am I right in thinking that the agreement will be enshrined in an Act of Parliament here? Can the noble Lord perhaps give us a few of the highlights of the communiqué? Am I not also right in thinking that this is not a question of full internal self-government, but very nearly so?
§ LORD BYERSMy Lords, we on these Benches also welcome the success of the efforts of the noble Lord in Gibraltar. We shall study the communiqué with interest. May I ask whether any economic undertaking of any sort is involved?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, in regard to the constitutional talks, clearly the economic factor is not included. Although one had the opportunity of discussing this matter, a number of new ideas were given to me and quite recently to the Commonwealth Secretary. These are being actively studied.
May I say to the noble Earl, Lord Bessborough, that this is not a question of internal self-government because of the realities of the situation in Gibraltar. On the question of whether there will be an Act of Parliament, the new Constitution and the Preamble, which is to include the link, will be in an Order in Council, not in an Act of Parliament. I think perhaps the noble Earl might like to read the communiqué. If I were to give some of the highlights, I should perhaps be at this Box for some time, not only in mentioning them, but also in explaining them. As I have said, the communiqué will be placed in the Library, and if the noble Earl wishes to raise any points with me, either privately or in the House, I shall be happy to assist him.
§ LORD MERRIVALEMy Lords, I should like to congratulate the noble Lord on reaching full agreement with the Government of Gibraltar. May I ask him three questions? First, will this new Constitution incorporate the five vital points? Secondly, if it does not, 1265 as one understands that the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd, has said that Gibraltarians may enter Britain as they wish, in spite of the provisions of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, can he give an assurance that that situation will continue as long as the people of Gibraltar wish to remain British and not only during the present attitude of the Spanish Government? My third question is to ask the noble Lord whether he has read the article by Llewellyn Chanter in to-clay's Daily Telegraph, entitled "Britain's two Faces over Gibraltar". I would ask him whether the views of the Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Office will no longer be divergent when these two Ministries are merged in the autumn.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, in regard to the latter point, I am not aware of any divergence of views between the Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Office. When we go to Gibraltar we go with one voice, and that is the voice of Her Majesty's Government. With regard to immigration, we have agreed that Gibraltarians who wish to come here to work during the present difficulties should be allowed to come in within the general figure which we have set for immigration as a whole. I would not go any further than that, nor do my friends in Gibraltar press me on this matter.
In regard to the five points, the noble Lord will be aware that two of the points, the question of immigration and the question of the Home Office, are not covered. I have made my views quite clear in regard to Gibraltar coming under the Home Office, which is a purely United Kingdom domestic matter. With regard to the first, second and fifth points, I believe that they are fully covered by the preamble, the link between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.
THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGHMy Lords, would not the noble Lord agree that it would be for the convenience of the House that when a Statement of this importance is made we should have the communiqué at the same time as the Statement? I have no doubt that the communiqué is already in the hands of the Press, yet it is not with us in this House.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, if the noble Earl has read his morning paper, he might already have seen certain aspects of the communiqué. The communiqué was issued last night in Gibraltar and also in London. I undertook to place copies of the communiqué in the Library, for the convenience of Members.
§ LORD MERRIVALEMy Lords, in view of what the noble Earl, Lord Bess-borough, has said, can we take it t gat an unbreakable relationship between Gibraltar and Great Britain will be incorporated in the Order in Council?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, we issued an interim communiqué last Saturday, in which we gave a firm undertaking that the link would be in the Preamble of the Order in Council. I should have thought that that was perfectly clear.