§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the number of military confrontations which have occurred between the Royal Navy or Royal Gibraltar Police and the Spanish sea-borne Civil Guard since 1 May 1997. [42156]
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§ Mr. Doug HendersonThere have been no incidents during this period involving the Royal Navy or Royal Gibraltar Police and marine units of the Spanish Civil Guard. However, the Royal Navy was involved in two incidents in British waters around Gibraltar, on 22 October 1997 and 5 April 1998, involving incursions by Spanish naval patrol vessels. The Royal Gibraltar Police and the Royal Navy were involved in three incidents, on 5 July 1997 and on 13 March and 4 April 1998, involving incursions by vessels of the Spanish coastguard service.
§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the military confrontation on 6 April off Gibraltar. [42157]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonThere was no incident on 6 April. However, on 5 April, a Spanish naval patrol vessel was observed moving within British waters off Gibraltar. When the Spanish vessel failed to respond to calls, HMS Nottingham, which was approaching Gibraltar at the time, requested her to leave. The Spanish vessel was escorted out of British waters by a patrol craft of the Gibraltar Squadron. Our Ambassador in Madrid later protested to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs over this incident.