HMGOG would like to welcome Elliott Phillips back to Gibraltar as he was unable to be present at last week’s Budget session where the details of the GHA Budget were scrutinized in Committee, line by line and he was not there to contribute. He was also absent for the entirety of the Chief Minister’s response on the Budget, and indeed was absent during the Chief Minister’s opening of the Budget session. This is the state of the nation debate in Parliament.
Mr Phillips has also clearly not been listening to Parliamentary sessions on this very subject where on the 24th May this year, just 2 months ago, this exact subject was discussed in answer to a question from the Leader of the Opposition and the details of the arrangements explained in full. Was Mr Phillips away then too?
The simple position as explained in Parliament is;
- Gibraltar Ambulances are, as a result of Brexit, only permitted to transport patients into Spain in Emergencies.
- All other Ambulance services into Spain are provided to the GHA by three Spanish Ambulance Contractors.
This is one of the consequences of our departure from the European Union and the termination of the bridging measures which had been unilaterally extended by Spain. The solution that was found, after raising the issue with the United Kingdom and Spain, was precisely for GHA emergency ambulances to be allowed through the border in life and death situations. This eliminated the urgent concern that the Government highlighted in March 2022!
Mr Philips does not yet seem to have realised that the reason why there is no treaty is because there are sovereignty lines that this Government will not cross, unless of course, he is saying that he would be prepared to do such a deal even though it is not safe, not secure and not beneficial for Gibraltar.
Mr Phillips has again demonstrated how completely out of touch he is with reality, and why the Opposition cannot be trusted on the details of any matter as they simply do not do their homework. An incredible way to serve our community. Gibraltar deserves a better opposition.
ENDS
