Gibraltar (Hansard, 19 November 2001)

§ Mr. Rosindell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made with the Spanish Government over the future of Gibraltar. [14814]

§ Peter Hain
I refer the hon. Member to my statement in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH.

§ Simon Hughes
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that there shall be self-determination of the people of Gibraltar. [15277]

§ Peter Hain
[holding answer 15 November 2001]: HMG support the right or principle of self-determination reflecting the wishes of the people concerned. It should be exercised in accordance with the other principles and rights in the UN Charter and with other treaty obligations. In Gibraltar's case, that includes Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht. This has been and continues to be the position of successive British Governments.

§ Mr. Andrew Turner
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on plans to offer the people of Gibraltar a referendum on the subject of a change to the status of their territory; and if the result of such a referendum will be binding on the United Kingdom Government. [16222]

§ Peter Hain
The Government stand by the commitment set out in the preamble to the 1969 Gibraltar constitution that we will not enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.

§ Mr. Andrew Turner
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the people of Gibraltar about the future status of their territory. [16120]

§ Peter Hain
A 'Declaration of Unity', signed by the Chief Minister and leading politicians, was handed to an FCO representative in Gibraltar on 4 October. This Declaration, which was mainly concerned with the decision to suspend Gibraltar from the EU Single Sky framework regulation, claimed to represent the views of the majority of the people of Gibraltar. I have placed a copy of this document in the Libraries of the House. For the record, since 1 September, 21 letters have been received from members of the public in Gibraltar on various issues, including the future status of the territory.