§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied with the progress of the continuing dialogue between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of His Majesty the King of Spain on matters of mutual interest.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, the Government, who attach importance to friendly relations with Spain, keep in close touch with the Spanish Government on matters of mutual interest. But there is no formalised dialogue.
Lord MORRISMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that imaginative and most helpful reply. However, I should like to ask whether Her Majesty's Government will maintain the same level of priority on this matter as did the previous Administration.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I cannot answer for the previous Administration. I am not in a position to say what particular priority it attached to these conversations, but we certainly think that continued relations with the Spanish Government are of great importance.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, the noble Lord is surely aware that the previous Administration addressed itself to two aspects of the British-Spanish relationship. The first and most important was the emergence into democracy after 40 years of Fascism of an 1604 important European country and the need to do everything possible in Britain and Europe to encourage that process. Secondly, as the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, has reminded us, there are outstanding specific questions like Gibraltar's air space and other aspects of that particular question which need continuous and assiduous negotiation with the Spanish Government.
§ Lord TREFGARNEYes, of course, my Lords, we attach great importance to both those matters.