Gibraltar

Lord Marlesford Excerpts
Thursday 10th October 2013

(11 years, 1 month ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Warsi Portrait Baroness Warsi
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I hear what the noble and gallant Lord says, but we have never had to deploy that kind of force in Gibraltar and we do not anticipate that we will have to. The annual Cougar deployment that has been taking place is long planned and well established. It is a large Royal Navy force of frigates and aircraft carriers that exercise in the region in the summer.

Lord Marlesford Portrait Lord Marlesford (Con)
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My Lords, can my noble friend explain the relevant difference between the British presence in Gibraltar and the Spanish presence in north Africa?

Baroness Warsi Portrait Baroness Warsi
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I am trying incredibly hard to decipher that situation. May I return to what I think is the basic position in relation to Gibraltar? The Gibraltarians have a right to determine their future political will and we support them in that.