Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Gibraltar authorities on the potential implications of the outcome of the EU referendum.

Sir Alan Duncan

The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) met the Chief Minister of Gibraltar in London on 16 July. The then Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon Friend the member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) spoke to the Chief Minister twice by telephone on 24 June about the outcome of the referendum. He also met the Chief Minister on 28 June in London to discuss the potential implications, and again on 11 July alongside the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Mr Letwin). In addition, officials continue to be in frequent contact with their Gibraltarian counterparts.

In all of these discussions, the former Minister of State made clear the outcome of the referendum does not affect the United Kingdom’s steadfast and longstanding commitment to Gibraltar, and its guarantee to stand by the double-lock on sovereignty.

The Government has also confirmed that, as it prepares for the process to leave the EU, we will fully involve Gibraltar to ensure that all of its interests are taken properly into account. In the meantime, the Government will continue to take whatever action is necessary to safeguard Gibraltar, its people and its economy, including maintaining a well-functioning Gibraltar-Spain border.