asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will uphold the sovereignty of Gibraltar in future talks with Spain so that she can remain a free and independent member of the Commonwealth.

Gibraltar is a colony and not an independent member of the Commonwealth. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said on 25th April, we have no doubt as to our rights of sovereignty over Gibraltar, so this is not a matter which we intend to raise at the talks.