§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations he has received from the citizens of Gibraltar about the future status of their territory; [69657]
474W(2) what measures his Department has undertaken to collect the views of (a) citizens of Gibraltar and (b) the elected local representatives of those citizens regarding negotiations with Spain; [69655]
(3) what recent representations his Department has received regarding the views of (a) citizens of Gibraltar and (b) the elected local representatives of those citizens regarding negotiations with Spain. [69656]
§ Peter Hain[holding answer 17 July 2002]I visited Gibraltar on 6 September and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Gibraltar on 3 May. We both met a wide range of citizens and local representatives, many of whom I have also subsequently met during their visits to London. We remain in regular contact with the Chief Minister in writing and through the Governor of Gibraltar.
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 12 July 2002, Official Report, column 1167, we have wanted the Chief Minister of Gibraltar at the Brussels Process talks. The Chief Minister has been invited to all three Brussels Process meetings since the Process was relaunched in July 2001. He has chosen not to attend. That offer still stands under the long-standing "two flags three voices" formula. Both we and Spain want the Government and people of Gibraltar to be fully engaged in talks about their own future.