BRUSSELS PROCESS ON GIBRALTAR

Early day motion 695, tabled 21 January 2002 by Chris Bryant (Labour). Signed by 59 members.

That this House notes this Government's restatement of the 1969 commitment that it will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar will pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes; further notes that since 1969 Spain has become a successful open democracy where 17 times more Britons live than do in Gibraltar; welcomes the Government's determination to take advantage of the present excellent relations between Spain and the United Kingdom to push ahead with the Brussels Process talks in the hope of reaching a lasting resolution of the longstanding dispute and of securing a better settlement for the people of Gibraltar and for the United Kingdom; and calls on the First Minister of Gibraltar, Mr Caruana, to take the seat reserved for him in the Brussels Process talks this coming month.

Signatures by party: Labour 54, Labour/Co-operative 4, Plaid Cymru 1.