§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Lord Privy Seal when next it is proposed to hold talks with the Spanish Government on the question of Gibraltar; and whether members of the Gibraltar House of Assembly will be invited to these talks as active participants or observers.
§ Sir Ian GilmourMy right hon. and noble Friend and the Spanish Foreign Minister agreed at their meeting in New York on 24 September that a further meeting would be held before long. No date has yet been fixed. It is too early to say what form Gibraltarian participation in any talks with Spain might take.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Lord Privy Seal what discussions he has had with Snr. Calvo Sotelo, the Spanish Minister for European affairs; whether he discussed the Gibraltar question; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Ian GilmourMy discussions with Snr. Calvo Sotelo during his visit to London on 17 to 19 July naturally mainly covered EEC matters. There was no detailed discussion of the Gibraltar question, but I drew Snr. Calvo Sotelo's attention to the statement I had made on 17 July in Gibraltar about the need for progress over the Gibraltar problem in the context of Spanish accession to the EEC.