§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Prime Minister for what reason Spain was decided upon as the partner for co-operation in a working group on employment and economic reform; to what extent Gibraltar will feature in this; and what will be the budget. [83742]
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government build alliances with other Member States on a range of issues under discussion in the EU both to deepen bilateral relations and to influence the wider EU debate. Work with Spain on employment and economic reform is one example, reflecting a shared approach on many of these issues. The Working Group was established to bring together various strands of existing collaborative work. There is no requirement for a dedicated budget. Gibraltar will not be a focus of the Group's work.