HL Deb 24 January 1980 vol 404 cc525-6

3.8 p.m.

Lord BOYD-CARPENTER

My 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 their discussions with the Spanish Government have yet resulted in any alleviation in the Spanish attempted blockade of Gibraltar; and what to date has been the cost to United Kingdom public funds involved in countering this unfriendly act.

The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)

My Lords, there has been some minor alleviation, but the main restrictions on Gibraltar in force since 1969 remain. There was a continuing small-scale development aid programme for Gibraltar long before the restrictions were imposed. But since 1969 when Spanish restrictions were introduced, aid expenditure has totalled £20 million. The aid programme for 1978–81 totals £14 million. Defence expenditure on Gibraltar totals about £37 million per annum, of which some £25 million is spent locally. It is not, however, possible to identify separately the proportion of these costs attributable to the restrictions.

Lord BOYD-CARPENTER

My Lords, in view of my noble friend's frequently demonstrated capacity to solve the insoluble, is it not possible to persuade the present Spanish Government to abandon this last remaining relic of the policy of the late unlamented General Franco, and to persuade them to understand that no British Government could conceivably trade away the rights and wishes of 25,000 people who have stood up to blockade for 10 years in their determination to be British?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, it is certainly the intention of Her Majesty's Government to seek to resolve this problem, and this problem can be resolved only having regard to the British pledge to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar.

Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTON

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that a good many of us feel that the only advantage which has accrued to Her Majesty's Government from joining the Common Market is that we are in a position to say to the Spaniards, "Pipe down over Gibraltar, or you have no hope of Europeanisation"? Can we be assured that that is what we shall say?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, that perhaps seems to be a rather extravagant way of putting what is, no doubt, a problem that will arise.