§ Viscount Exmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 1 June (WA 18)—(a) whether any arrests were made in connection with the recorded 153 incursions by Spanish fishing vessels into Gibraltan waters during the last five months; (b) whether there has been diplomatic dialogue in order to endeavour to rectify this practice; and (c) whether such incursions are placed on record with the European Commission. [HL2228]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)(a) Four fishermen have been arrested for offences connected to fishing incursions into British waters around Gibraltar in the last five months;
(b) This problem has been raised on several occasions by HM Ambassador in Madrid with senior Spanish officials;
(c) No. Although Gibraltar is within the EU as part of the UK Member State, Article 28 of the UK Act of Accession to the EC excludes Gibraltar from the EU common fisheries policy.