Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the Government of Gibraltar on the potential effect of leaving the EU on relations between Gibraltar and Spain.

The UK Government has made clear that it intends to fully involve Gibraltar as we prepare for exit from the EU, to ensure Gibraltar’s interests are properly taken into account.

As noted in the Government’s recent White Paper (The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with the European Union), we have established a Joint Ministerial Council (Gibraltar EU Negotiations) with the Government of Gibraltar, which met for the first time on 7 December 2016. Department for Exiting the EU and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers took part alongside the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar. Ministers from the Department for Exiting the European Union have met several times with the Chief Minister and other Gibraltarian stakeholders.

I gave both written and oral evidence to the Lords EU Select Committee’s inquiry into Gibraltar and the UK’s EU Exit on 25 January.