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Headlines:
UK spends £ 80 million in Gibraltar; Bigger Union Jack for the Rock; Caruana returns from London empty handed; Trans border environmental legislation.

UK spends £ 80 million in Gibraltar

The United Kingdom spends an estimated £ 80 million annually in Gibraltar. The Convent, (that is Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis Richards), in the financial year 2004?05 demanded £1.268.000 (£1.187000 running costs and £81,000 capital expenditure). Core Ministry of Defence costs are £78.491000 (£64.698000 million operating costs and £13.793000 million capital expenditure). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is also responsible for the Gibraltar Project Fund which has an allocation of £400,000 in financial year 2004?05. This was revealed by Dr Denis MacShane, Foreign Office Minister, in answer to questions from MP Andrew Rosindell. Dr MacShane also stated that the UK Government is committed to helping Gibraltar maintain its prosperity through open access to markets in goods and service.

Bigger Union Jack for the Rock

Britain's Ministry of Defence has ordered a bigger flag for the top of the Rock. The issue reached Parliament when Lyndsay Hoyle put a question to Adam Ingram, Armed Forces Minister who said that a smaller than usual sized flag has been flown from the top of the Department's site on the Rock of Gibraltar since Christmas 2001, after the previous flag blew away. British Forces Gibraltar have recently ordered, and are awaiting the delivery of a larger flag, he said.

Caruana returns from London empty handed

Peter Caruana, Gibraltar Chief Minister returned from London admitting that the effort to persuade Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary, and Adam Ingram, Armed Forces Minister, to reverse their decision to proceed on contractorisation, had failed. However Mr. Caruana said that he is not giving up despite some of his hopes having been dashed. "MOD remains camped in its determination and the Government remains camped in its equal determination to resist and we will continue to press the MOD to alter course," said Mr Caruana adding that this would end either in talks or confrontation. Mr. Caruana said Mr Hoon did not appear to have been moved by the argument that the methodology ? no consultation and moving ahead on contractorisation without regard to the social and economic impact to Gibraltar ? was improper. Mr. Caruana had hoped to persuade the MOD ministers that they should pull back their tender advertisement for contractors to take over the functions in MOD that affect initially 300 jobs but eventually some 700 and to instead engage in the sort of negotiations with the unions that they had done under the Pegasus initiative. Mr. Caruana briefed T&G/Acts and Prospect trade union leaders on the outcome of his meeting in London which he characterised as a "full and frank exchange of views about the MOD's contractorisation plans and the manner and method being pursued by MOD."

Trans border environmental legislation

A bill that will allow for trans-boundary consultation when a development is thought to have significant environmental effects on a neighbouring country was passed unanimously in the Gibraltar House of Assembly. Minister for the Environment Fabian Vinet said that The Environmental Bill 2005 that gives effect to an EU directive will include procedures for consultation relating to plans or programmes prepared in Gibraltar "that are likely to have significant effects on the environment in other Member States and vice-versa". Mr. Vinet explained that the bill sets out the requirement for environmental assessment of plans which set the framework for future development consent of projects. The Minister said the legislation will create "an element of certainty and avoid applications being rejected only after a lengthy process and after expenditure which could have been avoided if it was clear from the outset that that particular project application would fail" He added that the bill will have the cumulative effect of delineating no go areas from an environmental perspective.