HC Deb 24 February 2003 vol 400 cc247-9W
Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to separate the sovereignty over military interests in Gibraltar from the sovereignty of Gibraltar as a whole. [98203]

Mr. MacShane

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in this House on 12 July 2002,Official Report, column 1165.

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to withdraw the proposals for shared sovereignty of Gibraltar that he set out in his statement of 12 July 2002. [98204]

Mr. MacShane

The Government's position remains that set out by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his statement of 12 July 2002,Official Report, column 1165. As we have consistently made clear, any proposals that would affect the sovereignty of Gibraltar would be put to its people in a referendum and they would decide.

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Spanish Government about Gibraltar since 7 November 2002; and if he will list the topics discussed. [98205]

Mr. MacShane

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had several discussions with his Spanish counterpart on a range of issues since 7 November 2002. None of these concentrated on Gibraltar. I met the Spanish Minister for Europe on 10 February. We discussed a number of issues, including Gibraltar.

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that change to the sovereignty of Gibraltar will only be agreed by the Government after the majority of the people of Gibraltar have consented to the proposed change. [98206]

Mr. MacShane

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on this matter by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 November 2002,Official Report, column 279.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to uprate the value of pensions payable to Spanish pensioners who worked in Gibraltar prior to 1969. [98420]

Mr. MacShane

Under an agreement between the British and Spanish Governments in 1996, payments to all previous Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund contributors were fixed at 100% of accrued rights at 1988 levels and HMG assumed responsibility for payments to those not resident in Gibraltar. There are no plans to change this agreement.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of Gibraltar Community Care Limited in offering charitable assistance to elderly people resident in Gibraltar. [98421]

Mr. MacShane

Community Care was established in 1989 as a private charitable organisation with the objective of performing a range of charitable functions for elderly people living in Gibraltar, including assistance in meeting household costs which are particularly high in Gibraltar. Community Care has received substantial funding from the Government of Gibraltar.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his assessment of relations with the Government of Spain; what representations he has received from the Government of Spain since 7th November 2002; and when he plans to discuss with the Government of Spain the issue of (a) border queues, (b) access to air travel and (c) improved communications in Gibraltar. [98422]

Mr. MacShane

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had several discussions with his Spanish counterpart on a range of issues since 7 November. None of these concentrated on Gibraltar. I met the Spanish Minister for Europe on 10 February. We discussed a number of issues, including Gibraltar. Our relations with the Government of Spain remain close.

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the five economic tests for determining whether there is a clear and unambiguous case for UK entry into the eurozone will be applied separately to the economies of overseas territories, with particular reference to Gibraltar. [98833]

Ruth Kelly

I have been asked to reply.

The Government has made clear that a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the five economic tests will be made within two years of the start of this Parliament.