TNAG-0378-FCO40-424-UK-policy-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-after-1997-1973 — Page 19

SECRET

sovereignty for Spain, with cast-iron guarantees for the

continuance of the British presence and control, would involve,

in concrete terms, no adverse effects for the Gibraltarians.

Disadvantages of the eventual Solution proposed

14. Even the token transfer of sovereignty would necessitate

an Act of Parliament; this would in turn involve securing

Gibraltarian acceptance. The majority of Gibraltarians would

probably reject even token Spanish sovereignty in present

circumstances, so emotive is the concept of Spanish sovereignty

in any form, even though it would have no practical effects.

Thus, if we were to put forward the solution outlined, and

this proved to be acceptable to the Spanish Government, it would

need to be understood clearly that this did not absolve

IIM Government from its constitutional and practical need to

secure the acceptance of the proposals by the Gibraltarian

people and the British Farliament.1 A period of time (maybe

considerable) would have to be-devoted to this before the

solution could be implemented.

It might however be possible

to persuade the Spaniards that, once we had settled the issue between us, even though the solution could not be implemented

until the Gibraltarians had been won over, they should agree

to lift their restrictions and to embark on a programme of

bridge-building with Gibraltar which, we have always maintained,

would help greatly to moderate the currently hostile attitude

of the Gibraltarians towards Spain. At the same time, we

could undertake to use our influence to recommend the agreed

/solution

SECRET -0-