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.

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.