Gibraltar

HC Deb 25 January 2002 vol 378 cc1174-5W

Mr. Ancram

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will visit Gibraltar before he next meets his Spanish counterpart under the auspices of the Brussels Process. [28791]

Mr. Straw

I refer the right hon. Member to my statement in the House on 14 January 2002,Official Report, columns 21–29. I will be discussing this further when I see the Chief Minister of Gibraltar in London today.

Jim Dobbin

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he plans to give to the Royal visit to Gibraltar in 2002. [30681]

Mr. Straw

There are no Royal visits to Gibraltar planned for 2002.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place with Spain on roaming rights of Gibraltar mobile telephones; and under what statutory powers he can take action against Spain over restriction of telephone numbers for Gibraltar. [30644]

Peter Hain

We raise the problems facing the Gibraltar telephones sector with the Spanish Government, at ministerial and official level, at every appropriate opportunity. Most recently, I raised the issue with Spanish Europe Minister Ramon de Miguel on 24 January. Her Majesty's Ambassador to Madrid has also discussed the problem with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique in recent days.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no statutory powers to take action against Spain on the restriction of telephone numbers for Gibraltar.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking against Spain in respect of freedom of movement of UK citizens on the Gibraltar border. [30552]

Peter Hain

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-East (Mr. Turner) on 11 December 2001,Official Report, column 826W.

Jeff Ennis

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if independence for Gibraltar has been discussed during talks under the Brussels Process. [30646]

Peter Hain

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood) on 17 January 2002,Official Report, column 399W.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the integration of Gibraltar with the UK has been discussed during talks under the Brussels Process. [30640]

Peter Hain

No.

Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next meet representatives of the Government of Spain to discuss the future status of Gibraltar. [30696]

Peter Hain

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Jeff Ennis) today,Official Report, column 1177W.