§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the effects for Gibraltar of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Community.
§ Mr. HattersleyOn the United Kingdom's accession, the European Economic Community Treaty applied to Gibraltar by virtue of its Article 227(4), as a European territory
for whose external relations a Member State is responsible".At the Gibraltar Government's request, certain exemptions were negotiated in the Treaty of Accession, by which Gibraltar was excluded from the European Economic Community Customs territory, common agricultural policy and the need to apply value added tax. The chief practical effects have been to give Gibraltarians freedom of movement and establishment in the Community, but also to oblige the United Kingdom to apply levies on the export of agricultural products to Gibraltar.
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to have any new talks with the Spanish Government based on the proposals of that Government for the future of Gibraltar.
§ Mr. HattersleyNo.