§ 45. Mr. Masonasked the Prime Minister how many meetings at Government level have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and Euratom since the Euratom-United Kingdom Treaty was signed; and to what extent there is co-operation between Her Majesty's Government and the Consortium to further develop exports to Europe of nuclear reactors, nuclear materials, instruments and knowledge of different reactor techniques.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)A Joint Working Group of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the Euratom Commission has held its first meeting and has put in hand the practical task of developing fields of collaboration between the two organisations. There has not yet been any occasion since its establishment was announced in May for a meeting of the Continuing Committee for Co-operation.
Close contact is maintained between Government Departments, the Atomic Energy Authority and industrial firms on the question of nuclear exports to Europe and other parts of the world.
§ Mr. MasonDoes the Prime Minister think that is sufficient? Is he not aware that the consortium, to say the least, is finding it financially disturbing at the moment, that it has been promised only 14 nuclear reactors compared with the 242 previous promise of 19 and only managed to export one to Europe as compared with the United States which is going to export 6 to 8, an order worth £129 million? Why are the Government so complacent about Euratom? Is it not time that they stepped in and tried to help Euratom?
§ The Prime MinisterIn fact no orders for power stations have been placed under the American Euratom agreement and Euratom as an institution does not place orders. Those are placed as between the separate countries. I regard this as a very important collaboration, but the immediate task is practical measures of collaboration, which are being studied by the Joint Working Group of officials.
§ Mr. MasonIs there not provision in the agreement for the Government to step in on a higher level than this technical collaboration? How much help is there to be to the consortium in this respect?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is the general experience that meetings of Ministers are most fruitful after inquiry into the problems by officials on both sides.