Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the apparent incursions by Spanish fishing vessels into British Gibraltar territorial water on 26 December 2014.

A Spanish fishing vessel was present in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) on 26 December 2014. However, Spanish fishing vessels do not constitute State vessels. Accordingly, our assessment is that this incident did not give rise to any violation of British sovereignty. In accordance with the Constitutional division of responsibilities between the British Government and Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar, the enforcement of laws relating to the activity of commercial and recreational vessels in BGTW is a matter for the authorities in Gibraltar.