Tag: David Lidington

• Tuesday, March 4th 2014 - 23:53 UTC

  Hague raises UK's concern about illegal Spanish incursions in Gibraltar waters

  

  UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, personally raised Britain’s concerns about persistent “illegal” Spanish incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters, it was revealed. Mr. Hague spoke to Gonzalo de Benito, the Secretary of State at the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, on February 20 on the margins of an emergency meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

• Friday, January 17th 2014 - 06:49 UTC

  Queues and delays at the Gibraltar border reach Parliament

  

  The detrimental effect that border delays have had on tourism and visitor numbers to Gibraltar has been the subject of recent questions in the House of Commons. In a written question tabled before the lower House, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell requested information from the Secretary of State regarding the effect that the border delays have had over the last four months.

• Saturday, December 7th 2013 - 05:56 UTC

  UK considers drawing a historic parallel between Gibraltar and Spain's Ceuta and Melilla

  

  The British Government drew a historic parallel between Gibraltar and Spain’s north African enclaves in a parliamentary response this week. While recognizing that Ceuta and Melilla had a different constitutional relationship with Spain, Europe Minister David Lidington said the enclaves and Gibraltar both stemmed from “a distinct set of historical circumstances.”

• Friday, November 29th 2013 - 07:32 UTC

  Outraged UK Parliament reacts to Spain's attitude towards Gibraltar and the diplomatic bags indecent

  

  Outraged British members of Parliament from across the political spectrum reacted with disbelief to the explanations provided by the Spanish Government on the UK diplomatic bags incident at the Gibraltar border and called on the British Government to take a tougher stance in response.

• Thursday, November 28th 2013 - 21:03 UTC

  UK will insist Gibraltar be included in all EU aviation legislation

  

  The British Government will refuse to accept a return to the pre-2006 Cordoba Agreement practice of excluding the Gibraltar airport from EU aviation measures, Minister for Europe David Lidington told Parliament and pledged the inclusion of Gibraltar in all EU aviation legislation.

• Thursday, November 28th 2013 - 10:36 UTC

  Spain assures it will not open UK government bags with official correspondence

  

  Spain has assured London that the incident in which UK government bags containing official correspondence and communications were opened by Spanish officials at the Gibraltar border, “will not see a repeat of these actions”, according to an official release from the Foreign Office on the update to Parliament on the incident.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 09:01 UTC

  UK/Spain annual Tertulias Forum takes off in Oxford; Gibraltar expected to be addressed

  

  Britain’s Europe Minister, David Lidington, and Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo are attending a top-level Anglo-Hispanic forum that starts this week in Oxford. The annual British-Spanish Tertulias Forum brings together senior ministers, parliamentarians, academics, business leaders, scientists and artists from both countries to discuss topical issues.

• Wednesday, November 20th 2013 - 04:16 UTC

  UK summons Spanish ambassador following the latest incursion in Gibraltar territorial waters

  

  Acting Permanent Under Secretary Matthew Rycroft summoned the Spanish Ambassador H.E. Federico Trillo on Tuesday afternoon to raise the United Kingdom’s serious concerns regarding a significant incursion into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters on 18 and 19 November.

• Friday, November 15th 2013 - 17:01 UTC

  EC calls on Spain and Gibraltar for a “constructive dialogue” and cooperation on border controls

  

  The European Commission called on Friday for daily cooperation between Gibraltar and Spain regarding the ongoing dispute over border controls and “encourages all relevant authorities to strengthen their constructive dialogue with their counterparts for this purpose”.

• Wednesday, November 13th 2013 - 06:32 UTC

  Britain dismisses suggestion of any bilateral negotiations with Spain on Gibraltar

  

  The British Government has dismissed any suggestion of a return to bilateralism with Spain over Gibraltar. In a response to a question tabled in the House of Commons, Europe Minister David Lidington repeated Britain’s long-standing commitment to the people of Gibraltar over sovereignty.