§ 2.53 p.m.
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to make a Statement on Gibraltar. I am pleased to report that the Spanish Foreign Minister and I reached agreement on 10th April on the re-establishment of direct communications between Spain and Gibraltar. It is envisaged that the practical preparations will be completed not later than 1st June which will then allow the agreement to be speedily implemented. I have had a copy of the joint Anglo-Spanish Statement placed in your Lordships' Library.
This is a very important step, and one I am sure that your Lordships will wish to welcome, though I should emphasise that 10 this is only the beginning of what is likely to be a very long process. The Spanish decision represents another milestone for democratic Spain and I pay tribute to Senor Oreja's statesmanship and the goodwill which he has shown in his approach to this problem. Our agreement makes a significant contribution towards the strengthening of the United Kingdom's bilateral relations with Spain, to whose early membership of the European Community we look forward.
It is also a move of great significance for the people of Gibraltar, who have been cut off from Spain for 11 years. I discussed the implications with the Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in Gibraltar in London earlier today. I should like to stress to your Lordships that the Anglo-Spanish Statement reaffirms the Government's commitment never to enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, may I very warmly congratulate the noble Lord on the results of his efforts in reinforcing the age-old friendship between this country and Spain, and particularly on his success in getting a constructive dialogue resumed between us on a number of outstanding questions, including, of course, the important question of movement by land and air between Gibraltar and Spain? May I express to him our hope that, although this may be a long haul, there will be as speedy as possible a termination of these restrictions, which are vexatious and mutually damaging—damaging to trade and damaging to psychology, in that they postpone, rather than accelerate, the possibility of a larger settlement between us, the Gibraltarians and Spain? Finally, may I most warmly endorse what he said about the views of the Gibraltarians themselves being the final deciding factor in any possibility of a constitutional change in their status?
§ Lord GLADWYNMy Lords, we on these Benches should also like to congratulate the Foreign Secretary most warmly on arriving at this arrangement with his colleague from Spain, which is, after all, extremely satisfactory from every point of view. We also accept his view that the negotiations will go on for a con- 11 siderable time. I imagine that, from the Spanish point of view, they will wish to get them satisfactorily ended before Spain comes into the Common Market. I understand that that will be in about two or three years' time, so I suppose that during that period the negotiations will continue. I am not quite certain what the negotiations will be about, but I imagine that from the Spanish point of view the objective—with, of course, the consent of the inhabitants of Gibraltar; and we quite agree that nothing should be done against the wishes of the inhabitants of Gibraltar—will eventually be to achieve some kind of condominium, with joint responsibility for the future of Gibraltar. I ask that only as a hypothetical question.
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, it is so hypothetical that I do not think I should care to answer it. It seems to me that the negotiations will naturally consist of anything that anybody wants to talk about. But it is all subject to that very important qualification and proviso which I made to your Lordships in the last sentence of the Statement. I am grateful to both noble Lords for the way in which they have received the Statement. I think it is an important step that the Spanish Government should be prepared to lift the restrictions and I hope very much that, as a result of this, we shall see some practical co-operation between Gibraltar and Spain.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, if I may, with the indulgence of the House, intervene once more, may I ask whether the Foreign Secretary recalls the extremely useful and successful visit by a Parliamentary delegation from Spain, under the aegis of our own branch of the Inter-Parliamentary Union last December? It was led by His Excellency Senor Lavilla, Speaker of the Spanish National Congress, and the very strong good feeling between this country and Spain, especially democratic Spain, was made very evident. No doubt, he will look, concomitantly with his own efforts, to further contacts at the parliamentary level between the two Parliaments. That is very useful.
§ Lord CARRINGTONYes, my Lords. I think that that is a good idea. I would also say that, in the two meetings that I had with Senor Oreja, he certainly 12 showed that spirit of goodwill which the noble Lord has said that the parliamentarians did.
§ Lord LEE of NEWTONMy Lords, can the noble Lord say whether in the negotiations with the Spanish Government, there will be a place for Sir Joshua Hassan to look in?
§ Lord CARRINGTONYes, indeed, my Lords. Any negotiations will include representatives of Gibraltar.
§ Lord MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that all friends of democratic Spain welcome the opening of the frontier between Gibraltar and Spain, congratulate the Foreign Secretary and also welcome his underlining of the importance of the decision of the Gibraltarians being their own decision in this matter?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord.
§ Lord GORE-BOOTHMy Lords, may I rather exceptionally invite myself to ask the Foreign Secretary whether he will accept warmest congratulations on this occasion from one who seems to have spent years in negotiating with the Spaniards, with less success than the Foreign Secretary?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, that is very nice of the noble Lord, but we have taken only one very short step along what I think will be a very long road.