RESTRICTED
Mr Harding
Harding Parliamentary Unit
HIG 025/1
нка
RIGAYA
PQS: FUTURE OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
INDL
WY KO. 51
1 2 JAN 1981
Exper
·ISTRY
Taken
en 14/ 1. Mr Michael Brown MP (Conservative Brigg and Scunthorpe) has
put down two Questions for written answer on sovereignty and
possible independence for the various dependent territories.
2. I attach draft replies. The material has been supplied by, or
agreed with, MCD, SAmD, SED, SPD and WIAD, as appropriate.
3.
In the case of Gibraltar, there have been no consultations with
the government there or local political leaders regarding a possible
change in sovereignty or the attainment of full independence.
However, it is the case that Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht
gives Spain the right of first refusal, should Britain terminate its
sovereignty over Gibraltar. There is no question of Britain doing
so against the wishes of the people of Gibraltar, as the preamble to
the Gibraltar Constitution makes clear. The Gibraltar Government
was kept fully informed of developments leading up to, and subsequent
to, the conclusion of the agreement in Lisbon in April this year
between the Secretary of State and the then Spanish Foreign Minister.
Бир
12 December 1980
R D Clift
Hong Kong and General Department
Cc:
MCD SAMD
SED SPD WIAD
:
RESTRICTED
12 Dec.
61