§ 45. Mr. Healeyasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the official discussions concerning closer co-operation between the European Common Market and the European Free Trade Association.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have taken part in a number of informal and exploratory talks with interested Governments during recent months. In particular, following my visit to Bonn and discussions there with Chancellor Adenauer in August, we have had two rounds of exploratory talks with the German Government, designed to see whether a basis for more formal negotiations can be found. These talks have made useful progress. For the reasons given by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 4th November, I hope that the House will not expect me to say more about the results of these talks. Europe cannot risk another attempt to reach agreement which ends in failure; and, for the present, I am sure that we are all agreed that we should continue to explore the possibilities patiently in confidential discussions.
§ Mr. HealeyWhile agreeing to some extent with the latter part of the right hon. Gentleman's remarks, may I ask whether he will agree, now that the six months' grace we were offered in June runs out in a week's time, that the House deserves a little more information than that about the general form that discussions 1068 are taking. In particular, can he tell the House whether there is any truth in the reports that we are discussing an arrangement under which the Six and the Seven would have a common external tariff, and that, so far, no insuperable technical objection has been offered to this type of approach?
§ The Prime MinisterI am grateful for what the hon. Gentleman says. I know that he realises the difficulty and complication—and even delicacy—of these discussions. I think that it would be unwise for me to comment on any particular proposal, because the result might be just what we did not want to happen. I would, therefore, prefer to assure the hon. Gentleman that we are pressing forward with these discussions, and still hope that we shall reach a point at which a useful negotiation, as apart from exploratory discussion, can be entertained.
§ Mr. HoltMay I ask the Prime Minister to clarify the actual direction of Government policy in Europe? Is it to make an association with the Six, or to get Britain's entry into it? There is some confusion about this, because paragraph 38 of the agricultural White Paper issued yesterday says:
The Government … would not favour an unconditional entry into the Community"?Are we to infer from this that they would, in fact, like entry into the Community provided that it was not unconditional?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have had debates on this at considerable length, and I think the positions of the Government and the Opposition on the matter have been very close together. We want to see a European Community develop on sound lines, but we have the problem of the Commonwealth, we have our agriculural problem, and we have our commitments to the Seven. What we are working for, therefore, is something, whether it be the whole solution or a partial solution, which tends to maximise, the trade of Europe and not to reduce it.
§ Mr. GaitskellWill the Prime Minister say whether the conversations which he said are taking place are of a multilateral character, or are they simply between representatives of Great Britain and France and Germany?
§ The Prime MinisterAt present, they are bilateral in character in each case.
§ Mr. GrimondWill the Prime Minister give an answer to the main question? Granted that negotiations with the Six must, of course, take place under the Treaty of Rome, do the Government want to go into the Common Market if the negotiations are successful? He is always talking about interdependence and saying how splendid it is, but he always refuses to do anything particular about it.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have repeatedly declared that, although the difficulties, which are well known to the House, prevent us from acceding to the Treaty of Rome as it now stands, we do not regard the problems raised as insuperable and we believe that they can, with good will, be overcome.
§ Mr. GaitskellMay we take it that our partners in the Seven are being kept informed of these talks, and will the Prime Minister say with what other countries the bilateral talks are taking place?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have, of course, very carefully informed our partners at every stage, at meetings on other subjects which have provided an opportunity and, of course, through the ordinary diplomatic channels. We carefully do that. There have been these discussions primarily with the Germans because they were to try to work out some scheme with us, and we have had discussions also, as I think the Lord Privy Seal said, with the Italians and some preliminary discussions with the French.