§ 29. Mr. Teelingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to ensure that Hong Kong will be included in the Common Market; and what consultation the Hong Kong Government have had on this subject with Chinese and British businessmen in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Treaty of Rome provides for the association with the Common Market only of overseas territories of the Contracting Parties and the United Kingdom is, of course, not one of these. If my hon. Friend has in mind the inclusion of Hong Kong in the proposed European Free Trade Area the position remains as explained by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in reply to a question by the hon. and learned Member for Brigg (Mr. E. L. Mallalieu) on 16th July last. Hong Kong, as an industrial producer, would stand to gain by being included, but it is not practicable to deal with her case in isolation from that of other territories. Representatives of the General and Chinese Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong, and of local manufacturers, general commercial and financial interests there, have been consulted confidentially through the medium of the Trade and Industry Advisory Committee in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. TeelingWhile fully realising what my right hon. Friend has explained in his Answer, may I ask if it is not true that we are, up to a point, if not trying to join the Common Market, at least trying to come to some arrangement with it? If that is the case, would not we have to 505 insist that our Colonies, just as much as the Colonies of the six countries in it, were included?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI think that raises a greatly different issue, but it is highly important to get clear in the heads of Members of Parliament the difference between the Common Market and the proposed Free Trade Area.