Gibraltar’s representation at the Labour Party Conference continued yesterday evening with the Gibraltar Reception hosted by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and featuring a keynote speech by the UK Minister for Europe and the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty MP.
The Environmental Safety Group today met with MEP Sir Graham Watson to brief him on the worsening situation of sewage contamination at Western Beach, as well as on the broader issues of environmental degradation in the Bay contained in their recently published paper.
The ESG has confirmed that it will be holding a meeting with MEP Sir Graham Watson on Friday morning during his visit to Gibraltar. The group’s legal advisor, David Dumas QC, will also be present at this meeting.
The meeting will review issues raised in a paper recently published by the ESG during the visit to the area by EU inspectors. In it the group decries the lack of meaningful focus by all agencies on the critical and regional environmental issues affecting the health of all bay citizens and the living environment.
The Gibraltar Bus Company has embarked on a project to improve user friendliness for wheelchair users boarding its vehicles. The Government plans to construct ramps at those bus stops throughout the Rock, which currently pose difficulties for persons with a physical disability.
Following the Chief Minister’s speech to the US Council on Foreign Relations this week, the Opposition has welcomed his statement that the ‘2006 Constitution has given Gibraltar so much autonomy that we believe that this could be the maximum level of self-government short of independence and there is no political move to seek independence in Gibraltar" and that the Cordoba Agreement was "very positive’.
The party claims that Mr. Picardo’s position, is now ‘indistinguishable from the long held position of the GSD, on these two important issues.’