The GSD’s latest statement on heritage is yet another attempt to prolong a manufactured controversy while refusing to acknowledge the clear and detailed answers already provided by Government. Each time one allegation is addressed, Mr Bossino simply spirals into another complaint in an effort to keep the issue alive politically.

The reality is that more is being done to restore, protect and modernise Gibraltar’s heritage than ever before. From the restoration of Wellington Front to the internationally recognised World War II Tunnels experience, the results are visible to anyone prepared to look objectively at the facts. Major projects are also progressing at the Northern Defences, the Moorish Castle and the City Under Siege exhibition, transforming areas that had been neglected for decades.

The GSD conveniently forgets the condition in which many of these sites were left during its own time in office. Heritage was badly neglected and revenue generated from the Nature Reserve was never properly reinvested into the sites themselves. This Government took a different approach. By increasing ticket prices for non-residents and introducing modern visitor management systems, revenue from the Nature Reserve has increased from around £4 million in 2017/18 to over £17 million in 2025/26. That revenue is now being reinvested directly into conservation, restoration, maintenance and improved visitor experiences, while still increasing net returns to Government.

The procurement arrangements that the GSD continues to attack have already been fully explained publicly. Contracts were awarded through transparent competitive processes to experienced operators working under the supervision of the Government Archaeologist, the Gibraltar National Museum and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust. The figures repeatedly quoted by the Opposition were voted in Parliament during the Budget session and relate not only to site investment works but also to the operation of modern ticketing and management systems.

The Upper Rock and Gibraltar’s heritage sites are complex national assets requiring specialist conservation, environmental protection, transport coordination and continuous investment. The introduction of improved access systems and sustainable transport measures, including electric shuttle services, forms part of a wider strategy to protect the environment while improving accessibility and reducing congestion.

Minister for Heritage and the Environment, the Hon Prof John Cortes, said: “The public can judge for itself who is delivering tangible improvements and who is simply recycling headlines while ignoring the facts. The Upper Rock is a national asset. This Government will continue investing in its protection, accessibility and sustainable management for the benefit of Gibraltar now and into the future.

“The Upper Rock is looking better than ever. We are opening new tourist sites without having to use taxpayers money. We are nurturing our heritage and our natural assets. We are doing everything Mr Bossino's GSD failed to do. We will continue to do our excellent work despite Damon's demonic, desperate and deranged criticism. All this shows is that our work is effective and the GSD don’t know what more to do to try to denigrate us. It won't deter us."