§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many(a) ships, (b) Royal Marines and (c) Royal Air Force aircraft will take part in the 300th anniversary celebrations of British sovereignty of Gibraltar; and what role they will play; [179284]
(2) what types of (a) ships and (b) aircraft will take part in the 300th anniversary celebrations of British sovereignty of Gibraltar. [179346]
§ Mr. IngramOn current plans, one Frigate and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships are visiting Gibraltar in a ceremonial role as part of the tercentenary commemorations. 10 aircraft in all, comprising Pumas, C130 Hercules, Falcons and Hawks are visiting Gibraltar in the course of this year either to conduct a ceremonial flypast or for the Gibraltar Battle of Britain Open Day.
40 Royal Marines attended the recent Queen's Birthday Parade. 30 Royal Marines and 35 bandsmen from the Scottish Band of Royal Marines are currently planned to attend the Royal Navy Freedom of the City of Gibraltar on 4 August.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships have called at Gibraltar since 1 May, broken down by type. [179290]
§ Mr. IngramThere have been four visits by Royal Navy ships to Gibraltar since 1 May 2004 up until 16 June 2004 comprising two Type 42 Destroyers and two Fleet Submarines (SSNs).
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether(a) Royal Navy ships that call at Gibraltar may then call at Spain and (b) Royal Navy ships that call at 1297W Spain may then call at Gibraltar; and whether Royal Navy aircraft may fly over Spain and land at Royal Air Force base Gibraltar. [179352]
§ Mr. IngramNATO Standardisation Agreement (STANAG) 1100, sets out the procedures for visits to NATO and non-NATO ports by naval ships of NATO nations. This Agreement contains a reservation, inserted by the previous Spanish Government, which prevents visits by NATO ships to or from Gibraltar directly from or to Spanish ports
Any request to overfly Spanish airspace by military aircraft from NATO (or other) nations, which has Gibraltar as a departure or arrival airfield, is routinely denied by the Spanish authorities.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission a Gibraltar service medal to commemorate the 300 years of British Gibraltar, to be given to armed forces personnel who have served in Gibraltar. [179555]
§ Mr. IngramIt is not the practice in this country to institute commemorative medals other to recognise The Sovereign's Coronation and Jubilees. The Government acknowledges the forthcoming 300th anniversary of the capture of Gibraltar by British forces in 1704, but there are no plans to mark the occasion with the institution of a medal.