§ 2.48 p.m.
§ LORD MERRIVALEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they would agree that Gibraltar should be treated as metropolitan in a similar sense to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, in so far as immigration control is concerned; or, in view of the unique position of this Dominion (both geographically and internationally), whether they will raise the question of its exemption from the provisions of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act at the next Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference to be held in London in January, 1969.]
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, the Commonwealth Immigrants Acts apply to all Commonwealth territories equally, and none can be specially exempted. But 789 my right honourable friend the Commonwealth Secretary has given a public assurance to the people of Gibraltar that, within the existing arrangements under the Acts, there will be enough employment vouchers available for any Gibraltarians who want to come to the United Kingdom to be able to do so.
§ LORD MERRIVALEMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply. Would she not agree that this present concession to which she has just referred on access to this country through vouchers is an expedient and has no permanency whatsoever? Secondly, would not the noble Baroness agree that Gibraltar is in effect in a unique position, being the only Dominion in Europe, the only Dominion to be continually harassed by a major Power, and the only Dominion to be hampered by an international treaty; that is, the Treaty of Utrecht? In view of those three points, would the noble Baroness not think that one of the two suggestions I have put forward could be considered; that is, whether Gibraltar could be considered metropolitan? If she is not to be considered metropolitan, then could not the matter be raised next January at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference?
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, I am afraid I cannot agree that the voucher scheme is an expedient, a temporary expedient. The House will be pleased to learn, according to the information we have, that it is already working well and no Gibraltarian who wishes to come to this country has been prevented from doing so. So long as Gibraltar is a Crown Colony there is no doubt in the minds of Her Majesty's Government that its citizens are subject to our immigrant control, and it is fundamental to the Commonwealth Immigrants Acts that they apply equally to all Commonwealth citizens, including Gibraltar, within the terms of those Acts.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, can the noble Baroness say whether the proposed issue of the new Constitution for Gibraltar has yet been considered by Her Majesty's Government, and whether those new proposals, whatever they might be, would cause any alteration to the present situation with regard to immigrants?
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, I am sure the noble Earl will understand that 1 am not wishing to dodge his question, but questions about the possibility of changes in the status of Gibraltar and matters with regard to the Constitution are for my noble friend the Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs.