Jan 09 - Commons Gibraltar Debate: MPs Call for More Robust Stance from UK Government
Marking six months following the release and Government response to the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee report on Gibraltar, entitled ‘Gibraltar: Time to Get Off the Fence’ a debate was held in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon.
Touching upon the usual matters of BGTW incursions, frontier delays and a flourishing economy on the rock despite former attempts from Spain to curb business through the frontier, fifteen members of the House (the majority hailing from the Tory benches) barraged Europe Minister David Lidington for answers on whether the Government will step up their support of the Rock against Spain’s ‘mounting provocation’, as Chairman of the Committee Sir Richard Ottaway put it.
MPs, including former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Labour member for Ilford South Mike Gapes and long-term supporter of the Rock, Andrew Rosindell, outlined the need for a ‘more robust’ position against Spain’s ‘petulant bullying', from the Foreign Office.
Rosindell called upon the Government to defend Gibraltar as though it were the UK, insisting that it was time for another Royal visit from Her Majesty.
In his response, David Lidington claimed that the Government continues to be ‘steadfast in its support of Gibraltar’. He added that it was their primary responsibility to defend the national interest of the Gibraltarians and the Government must seek to defend the Rock without making the current situation any worse.
Commenting on the aviation matters, and Spain’s attempt to block Gibraltar from the EU Single Skies agreement Lidington claimed that it was illegal and in breach of EU law, to exclude Gibraltar. Gibraltar remains part of the current Single Skies measure which sees the management and regulation of European Airspace carried out by the EU.
On incursions, Minister Lidington commented that the number had dropped 20% from last year and following some of the more serious and unlawful incursions last year, the Spanish Ambassador to the UK was summoned more than any other Ambassador.
He noted that the Government was not looking to go down the route of taking the matter to the European Court of Justice, as was suggested by MPs, as it would not be a swift process. He instead committed to continuing down the route of placing pressure on the European Commission.
Responding to questions on Gibraltar’s naval presence, Lidington noted that naval assets in Gibraltar were under review, and he would not rule out the potential addition of new assets.
Responding to the two hour debate, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo commented that he was ‘very happy to have heard David Lidington say explicitly that the relationship between the UK and Spain under the PP has not flourished because of the way the PP has handled the Gibraltar issue.’ He was also happy to see that ‘legal action under Article 259 has not been ruled out and that the Royal Navy's assets and manning are under review.’
