Agenda Item 3 CPA Paper/S4/12-13/1/1/Annex A 26 September 2012 Report to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Branch 30th Anniversary events commemorating the conclusion of the : 10th to 16th June, 2012.

1. The ’ Government arranged a series of events to commemorate the conclusion of the Falklands War in 1982. Representatives of the CPA from the British Islands and Mediterranean Region were invited to attend these events held between the 10th and 16th of June 2012. I attended as the representative of the CPA Scotland Branch. Also in attendance were Keith Brown MSP, then Scottish Government Minister for Housing and Transport, the Minister of State in the UK Government Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Jeremy Brown MP, and representatives from the Welsh Assembly, from Gibraltar, Jersey and Guernsey. 2. Given the long travel time from Scotland to the Falkland Islands, we effectively had three full days of activities on the Islands. The focus of these activities was very much events commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the war. We attended wreath laying ceremonies at Bluff Cove, San Carlos, the HMS Glamorgan Memorial just outside Stanley, the Liberation Day church service in Christ Church Cathedral in Stanley, and the service and parade at the Liberation Memorial in Stanley on the 14th June. In addition, we attended a number of formal civic events including dinner with members of the Legislative Assembly, a reception at Government House hosted by His Excellency the Governor Nigel Haywood, the Liberation Dance in Stanley Town Hall, and the civic event on Liberation Day. 3. In addition to these formal events, there was time for more informal contact with the , including a visit to , a remote community on , to meet local residents and view aspects of their life. We had dinner one evening with some of the younger generation of Falkland Islanders. In addition there was some limited time to study tourist facilities in the Islands, including key visitor attractions at the King Penguin colony on and to the Museum exhibition of the Falklands War. 4. The formal programme included a briefing from the Falkland Islands’ Government on the current political and economic situation in the Islands. This provided a very useful overview of the financial situation of the Falkland Islands’ Government, current economic prospects, details of the defence situation, and background to current relationships with . At the same time as we were visiting the Falkland Islands the Argentinian President, Cristine Kirchner, was addressing the United Nations again restating Argentina’s claim to the Islands. 5. The very busy programme of events had been put together by the local 30th Anniversary Planning Committee, who had worked extremely hard to provide a programme which would ensure not just our attendance at formal events but also the opportunity to meet informally with Falkland Islanders and gain an understanding both of their way of life and of their concerns about the political 1

Agenda Item 3 CPA Paper/S4/12-13/1/1/Annex A 26 September 2012 and defence situation. We were very well looked after by members of the Committee and by all the Falklanders we met in whatever capacity. 6. At the same time as we were visiting the Falklands, there was another group of veterans of the 1982 conflict who, although not part of our own programme nevertheless, were present at many of the events where we attended. It was very clear that the Falkland Islanders maintain a high level of gratitude to the UK and in particular to the veterans of the conflict for their role in liberating the Islands from Argentina in 1982. Whilst there is an increasing sense of local self-confidence, there is a very strong connection with the UK, and a desire to maintain the UK link. 7. Whilst we were visiting the Falkland Islands, the local Government, with the support of the UK Government Foreign and Commonwealth Office, announced that it would be holding a Referendum later in 2012 to ascertain the Falkland Islanders’ views on their constitutional future. This was largely being done in response to the increasingly strident calls from Argentina for sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. The expectation is that the Falkland Islanders will vote by a large majority to retain the link with the UK. 8. The economic situation in the Falkland Islands is a very healthy one. The local Government runs a substantial budget surplus. The population is small, around 3,200, but is on the increase. The principal reason for the successful economy is the exploitation of the lucrative squid fisheries, but both agriculture and tourism are also important earners. Oil has been discovered in local waters and there are hopes of an oil boom akin to the one in the North Sea in the 1970s. If this were to come to be, it would result in a transformation of the islands and their economy, something that the Falkland Islanders themselves are very conscious of, and very positive about. 9. I understand that a delegation from the CPA Scotland Branch is due to visit the Falkland Islands in February 2013. I would suggest that there are two issues in particular that it would be worth this delegation exploring further:- a. It is anticipated that the Falkland Islanders will have carried out their Referendum on the Islanders’ views on their constitutional future by the end of 2012. Given that we in Scotland are facing our own Referendum in 2014, it would be useful to see what could be learnt from the Falkland Islanders’ experience of conducting the Referendum. In particular, it would be useful to understand how a fair question was set, how rules for fair conduct of the Referendum campaign were established, and how in practice the Referendum campaign was fought, e.g. were there funded campaigns on both sides of the argument (although it should be recognised that the outcome of the Referendum in the Falkland Islands was expected to be far less uncertain than the one in Scotland). b. The Falkland Islanders hope that they will develop a new oil and gas industry in coming years. Given Scotland’s, and in particular the North- east’s, experience of an oil and gas boom, it would be useful to see whether there could be a sharing of information from us with the 2

Agenda Item 3 CPA Paper/S4/12-13/1/1/Annex A 26 September 2012 Falkland Islanders in terms of how best to develop an oil and gas industry. It would also be worth exploring whether there are opportunities for Scottish companies in the oil and gas sector to be involved in the Falkland Islands’ developments. 10. In conclusion, it was a considerable privilege to be able to attend the events in the Falkland Islands for the 30th Anniversary of the end of the war. I laid a wreath both at the HMS Glamorgan Memorial in memory of two constituents who died, and also on behalf of the CPA Scotland Branch at the Liberation Memorial in Stanley on the 14th June. It was very clear from local reaction that the involvement of the CPA Scotland Branch in the visit was greatly appreciated. 11. Given the similarity between the topography and economy of the Falkland Islands and many remote parts of Scotland, including our own northern and western isles, I believe that there are opportunities for further links to be developed between the islands and the CPA Scotland Branch, particularly focussed on mutually beneficial economic opportunities. I would hope that this could be taken forward by the outward visit from the CPA Scotland delegation in February 2013.

Murdo Fraser MSP

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