Lords to quiz Picardo on Brexit

The House of Lords EU Committee will take evidence from Chief Minister Fabian Picardo tomorrow, in a session looking at the preparations being made for Brexit.

Mr Picardo flew to London yesterday ahead of the Gibraltar Day events today, which include the financial services lunch in the Guildhall and a reception in the Gherkin.

Tomorrow, the Gibraltar delegation will host a finance breakfast at the RAC Club, with Mr Picardo due to appear before the Lords committee late in the afternoon.

The committee, which is chaired by Lord Boswell, will question Mr Picardo on the latest state of Brexit negotiations in relation to Gibraltar, including the status of the airport and how transitional arrangements would apply to Gibraltar.

Peers will also ask about the nature of the proposed agreement with Spain in areas such as tax cooperation, police and customs cooperation, the environment, citizens’ rights and tobacco, the committee said in a statement.

The Chief Minister will also face questions on how the Gibraltar Government is cooperating with the Andalusian regional government, and the local authorities in the Campo de Gibraltar region, to protect cross-border workers and defend the interests of communities on both sides of the border.

Finally, they will ask about the possible impact on Gibraltar of a ‘no deal’ Brexit and what preparations the Government of the Gibraltar is making in case a deal cannot be reached.

The EU Select Committee has already carried out extensive work in relations to Gibraltar and Brexit, and in March 2017 published a report entitled “Brexit: Gibraltar”, with a follow-up inquiry a year later.