Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar in relation to a change in law enabling British citizens to become Gibraltarians after 10 years of residence in Gibraltar.

Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar has introduced a Bill to amend the Gibraltarian Status Act lowering the qualifying period for registration from 25 years to ten years. This is an area within the constitutional competence of Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar and I have had no discussions with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar about the change.