Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of time spent in Gibraltar counting towards the 90-day limit for Schengen short stays on British citizens with (a) residential, (b) family and (c) personal times to EU countries.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
To unlock the benefits of a fluid border, everyone arriving at Gibraltar's airport will undergo dual immigration controls, allowing them to move freely into the EU if they wish to. As visitors will be free to cross into Spain without checks, time spent in Gibraltar will count towards the EU's 90 in 180 requirement. This approach reflects the unique situation in Gibraltar, ensuring a fluid border and delivering certainty for Gibraltar's people and businesses.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his expected timeline is for the ratification of the UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All parties are committed to finalising the text of the UK-EU Treaty in respect of Gibraltar as soon as possible. The final text will be brought before the House for scrutiny in the normal way pursuant to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Statement on Gibraltar on 12 June 2025, what estimate he has made of the number of UK nationals who will enter Gibraltar each year who are (a) eligible for entry to Gibraltar under Gibraltarian controls and also (b) ineligible to enter the Schengen area.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As today, there is no automatic right of entry to Gibraltar for non-resident British nationals. Under the agreement announced on 11 June, immigration and entry to Gibraltar will remain the responsibility of the Gibraltarian authorities. Spain, on behalf of the EU, will be responsible for granting or refusing entry to the Schengen area. The Government of Gibraltar have taken the decision to mutually recognise decisions taken by Spain to refuse entry to Schengen. As is the case today when UK nationals arrive at either a Gibraltar or a Schengen checkpoint, we expect the overwhelming majority of travellers to proceed without difficulty through the checks, which are carried out in the mutual public safety interest. British nationals who are resident in Gibraltar will not be refused entry to Gibraltar.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Statement on Gibraltar on 12 June 2025, what estimate he has made of the annual number of UK nationals who could be stopped at the airport as a result of Schengen checks.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As is the case today when UK nationals arrive at either a Gibraltar or a Schengen checkpoint, we expect the overwhelming majority of travellers to proceed without difficulty through the checks, which are carried out in the mutual public safety interest. British nationals who are resident in Gibraltar will not be refused entry to Gibraltar. As a result of the agreement announced on 11 June, we expect the number of passport checks in Gibraltar to reduce from approximately 10 million to 250,000. This model of dual checks is specific to the situation in Gibraltar and agreed by its Government. It will unlock the significant benefits of a fluid border.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether time spent in Gibraltar by UK citizens will count against the 90-day allowance for stays in Schengen countries.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Non-resident British nationals can currently visit Gibraltar for up to 90 days. The same will be the case under this agreement. As visitors will be free to cross into Spain without checks, time spent in Gibraltar will count towards the EU's 90 in 180 requirement. Immigration into Gibraltar is, and will remain, the responsibility of the Government of Gibraltar.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Statement on Gibraltar on 12 June 2025, Official Report, col 1130, if he will publish the draft of the sovereignty clause.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All parties are committed to finalising the text of the UK-EU Treaty in respect of Gibraltar as soon as possible. The final text will then be brought before the House for ratification in the normal way pursuant to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
This Government is fully committed to the double lock: 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. And we will never enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Statement on Gibraltar on 12 June 2025, Official Report, col 1130, what steps he is taking to ensure the compatibility of the sovereignty clause with the section of the UK-EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar: Joint statement, published 11 June 2025, on the future Agreement being without prejudice to the respective legal positions of Spain and the United Kingdom with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The sovereignty clause is fully compatible with the Joint Statement published on 11 June 2025.
This Government is fully committed to the double lock: 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. And we will never enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that time spent in Gibraltar does not reduce the time British citizens can spend in Schengen countries.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
To unlock the benefits of a fluid border, all individuals arriving at Gibraltar's airport will undergo dual immigration controls allowing them to move freely into the EU if they wish to. As visitors will be free to cross into Spain without checks, time spent in Gibraltar will count towards the EU's 90 in 180 requirement. This agreement provides a solution to the unique situation in Gibraltar, ensuring a fluid border and delivering certainty for Gibraltar's people and businesses.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the UK-EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar: Joint statement on 11 June, whether any stay by a British citizen in Gibraltar will count towards the 90-day limit within a 180-day period for third-country nationals entering the Schengen area.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Non-resident British nationals can currently visit Gibraltar for up to 90 days. The same will be the case under this agreement. As visitors will be free to cross into Spain without checks, time spent in Gibraltar will count towards the European Union's 90 in 180 requirement. Immigration into Gibraltar is, and will remain, the responsibility of the Government of Gibraltar. This agreement provides a solution to the unique situation in Gibraltar. It ensures a fluid border to deliver certainty for the people and businesses of Gibraltar and has the full support of its Government.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the UK-EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar: Joint statement on 11 June providing for "a future customs union between the EU and Gibraltar", whether Gibraltar will be required to align with the EU's external trade policy; and if so, what will be the legal framework for UK-Gibraltar trade.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Trade between the UK and Gibraltar is almost exclusively in services. Trade in services is not in scope of this agreement so the legal framework for UK-Gibraltar trade in this respect is unchanged. The UK and Gibraltar remain separate customs jurisdictions, and goods trade between the two will continue to be governed by the respective arrangements of both. Duties will apply to UK goods moving to Gibraltar as they do today and vice versa. In order to facilitate the removal of customs checks at the land border, Gibraltar has decided to align some aspects of its import regime with that of the European Union. It will not be required to align with all aspects of European Union external trade policy and can still be part of UK free trade agreements to the same extent Gibraltar has been previously, namely relevant services chapters.