May 26 - Alarmist Spanish Press Reports On HMS Ambush Are Untrue – Number Six
The Government says it notes statements in the Spanish media which have sought to “inflame and concern the public” in the region as to the presence of HMS Ambush at HM Naval Base in Gibraltar.
The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo: "There is absolutely nothing of any concern about the presence and activity of HMS Ambush in Gibraltar. HM Government of Gibraltar has been fully briefed about the arrival, stay and activity of the vessel and people can rest assured that the speculation in the Spanish press is as wrong on this subject as it usually is about matters related to us. There is nothing "nuclear" to worry about. The operations being carried out are routine and not related to the vessel's reactor or waste associated thereto. In particular, the use of the Naval Base for these operations serves to graphically demonstrate both the continued strategic significance of Gibraltar to the United Kingdom and that the waters around Gibraltar, both inside and outside the port, are British in keeping with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and that the United Kingdom neither needs nor is required to seek anyone's permission to bring Royal Navy vessels into the British parts of the Bay of Gibraltar."
{fcomment}
