The Government has intensified its communication campaign in relation to the details of the UK-EU treaty in respect of Gibraltar.

The Chief Minister this morning briefed the staff of the Borders and Coastguards Agency and HM Customs, which will be frontline agencies in relation to the implementation of the treaty.

This afternoon the Chief Minister briefed the business community in a packed meeting at Grand Battery House. This included a detailed presentation by the Attorney General in relation to goods and transaction tax matters. The Deputy Chief Minister and the Minister for Business were also present.

There was an opportunity for traders to ask questions, and this was allowed to continue until no more questions remained. Other questions submitted in writing by the Chamber of Commerce and the GFSB will be answered directly by email.

A further and more detailed technical notice will be published shortly.

Yesterday, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Attorney General provided a detailed briefing to the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Terminal Director on the detail of the aviation chapter of the treaty.

It is important to note that the treaty text has still not been formally agreed prior to publication. However, there is a very real risk that it could be leaked at any time. The Government, nonetheless, is not able to publish it until the Parties formally determine to do so. Those Parties are the United Kingdom and the European Union.

In this context, it is clear that the Leader of the Opposition does not appear to appreciate the procedure followed in international treaty negotiations. Treaties are negotiated by Governments. When the text is settled, they are published for scrutiny by Parliaments and by Oppositions. The Opposition in Spain and in the United Kingdom have not been involved in the negotiations still less have they been supplied with a draft text before it has been settled.

While the Opposition continue with their usual negativity, the Government continues to work busily briefing those who will be directly involved like frontline agencies and the business community.