Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Gibraltar is protected (1) politically, and (2) economically, so that it does not experience any negative consequences as a result of the UK leaving the European Union.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Last December the UK Government, working alongside the Government of Gibraltar, reached agreement with the Spanish Government on a political framework to form the basis of a UK-EU treaty regarding Gibraltar. We are committed to delivering a treaty which safeguards the UK's sovereignty of Gibraltar and supports the prosperity of both Gibraltar and the surrounding region. Negotiations will begin once the EU has agreed its mandate and we are confident that a treaty between the UK and the EU can be agreed. However, if this does not prove to be the case, or the deal on offer is not the right one for the UK and Gibraltar, we are fully prepared to accept the implications. The UK will stand fully behind Gibraltar, its people and its economy in any scenario.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their position that Gibraltar will remain British for as long as the residents of Gibraltar wish it to be.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK stands by its assurances to Gibraltar that we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, nor enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Gibraltar has access to any opportunities that arise from the UK’s departure from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The United Kingdom is negotiating the future relationship with the EU on behalf of the whole United Kingdom family, including Gibraltar. We continue to work with the Government of Gibraltar, in keeping with the mature and modern constitutional relationship which Gibraltar enjoys with the United Kingdom, and we will remain steadfast in our support for Gibraltar, its people and economy.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to prevent incursions by Spanish patrol vessels into the territorial waters of Gibraltar.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Royal Navy challenges all incursions. We make formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish authorities following every incursion. Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. They do not weaken or undermine the legal basis in international law for British sovereignty over Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they have received from the government of Spain that incursions by Spanish patrol vessels into Gibraltar's territorial water will cease.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We make formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish authorities following every incursion. Our Ambassador in Madrid raised with the Spanish Government on 18 February 2019 our concerns about provocative actions and incursions by Spanish state vessels in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. They do not weaken or undermine the legal basis in international law for British sovereignty over Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of Spain in relation to incursions into the territorial waters of Gibraltar by Spanish patrol vessels.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We make formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish authorities following every incursion. Our Ambassador in Madrid raised with the Spanish Government on 18 February 2019 our concerns about provocative actions and incursions by Spanish state vessels in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. They do not weaken or undermine the legal basis in international law for British sovereignty over Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their representations to the government of Saudi Arabia about the continued detention of women convicted of driving before the ban was lifted, what further action they are taking to secure the release of those detained.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government remains very concerned about the detention of women's rights activists and allegations that they have been subject to torture during pre-trial detention in Saudi Arabia. We understand they also remain without formal charges. We have raised concerns a number of times about these cases at Ministerial level with the Saudi authorities and will do so again. We consistently and unreservedly condemn torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about Israa al-Ghomgham who faces execution for charges related to peaceful activism.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are monitoring the case of Israa al-Ghomgham closely and we understand that she has a trial scheduled. The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including Saudi Arabia. We will continue to raise our concerns on human rights with the Saudi authorities in private.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Saudi Arabia continues to hold political prisoners, detained indefinitely in the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh and elsewhere in that country; and if so, whether they will consider imposing sanctions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of media reports that a number of individuals remain in detention. We continue to raise our concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia, including on the restrictions of freedom of expression.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with the government of Saudi Arabia the question of the continued detention of women who campaigned against the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia; and if so, what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is very concerned about the arrests and detentions of the women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister, the former Foreign Secretary and the Chancellor have raised our concerns with the Saudi authorities. We continue to raise our concerns at all levels, most recently in July. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised our concerns during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia on 16 July.