HL Deb 27 November 1986 vol 482 cc641-2

3.15 p.m.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the restriction imposed by Spain on the use of Spanish airspace by British military aircraft approaching or departing from Gibraltar Airport has now been withdrawn.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)

My Lords, no. We continue to take every suitable opportunity to urge the Spanish Government to lift this restriction.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, can my noble friend say whether Her Majesty's Government regard it as appropriate for one member of NATO to seek to interfere with the use of another member's airfields by another member's aircraft; and whether the Spanish Government have been good enough to give any explanation whatever of this attitude?

Baroness Young

My Lords, I have made our Government's position very plain on this matter and my right honourable and learned friend the Foreign Secretary will have a further opportunity to raise it when the Spanish Foreign Minister visits London in January. So far as NATO is concerned, the demarcation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation command boundaries is a matter for the Alliance as a whole, and in this case does not arise since Spain is not fully integrated into the Alliance's military structure.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Baroness for her account of what the Government have done. Could she say whether there are any plans to discuss this matter within NATO; or is she saying that it is too early yet to do that? It seems to me that the noble Lord was quite right when he said that it is unreasonable that this right should be withheld by a NATO partner. Could the noble Baroness indicate whether the Government have plans to discuss this in the appropriate quarter?

Baroness Young

My Lords, this matter has been raised on many occasions, both at ministerial level and at official level. We shall raise it again in January. I think that the point that the noble Lord makes will not be lost on the Spanish Government, but I think it is appropriate at the present time to see what will be the outcome of the next round of talks.