HC Deb 20 December 1962 vol 669 cc1438-9
Q5. Mr. Ronald Bell

asked the Prime Minister what proposals were made to him, during his recent visit to France, for an association of Great Britain with the Common Market otherwise than through full membership of the Treaty of Rome.

Mr. R. A. Butler

I have been asked to reply.

I cannot add to the joint communiqué issued after the talks.

Mr. Bell

Can my right hon. Friend add to it to the extent of saying whether proposals of this nature have reached the British Government either during these talks or otherwise? Can he give an assurance that if proposals of this character are made they will be warmly welcomed by Her Majesty's Government?

Mr. Butler

The first preoccupation of Her Majesty's Government is to play a full part in the Common Market and not to divert our attention to alternative proposals, but I will undertake that if any proposal of this sort is put to Her Majesty's Government it will receive serious consideration.

Mr. Bell

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the fact that this proposal for a European Free Trade Area was the first choice of Her Majesty's Government and that it was only when this was unhappily frustrated that we turned to the second and obviously less desirable alternative of full membership of the Treaty of Rome.

Mr. Butler

We have to face the situation as created by the Six themselves.

Q6. Sir D. Walker-Smith

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now initiate proposals for a Commonwealth initiative on the lines communicated to him last June by the right hon. and learned Member for Hertfordshire, East; and if he will make a statement

Mr. R. A. Butler

I have been asked to reply.

Her Majesty's Government share my right hon. Friend's desire to strengthen Commonwealth ties. They believe that this country's ability to do so will be improved by bringing the Brussels negotiations to a successful conclusion. The prospects of doing that would not be improved by a separate initiative at this stage.

Sir D. Walker-Smith

Does my right hon. Friend not agree that I could hardly be charged with overstatement in suggesting that the six months which have elapsed since I communicated these proposals to the Prime Minister have not seen any brightening of the prospects for our entry into the Common Market? Will not he therefore further agree that the national interest and the whole complex of the international situation at present make the initiation of these proposals by this country a matter of imperative urgency?

Mr. Butler

It is quite obvious that the last six months have been taken up in very hard and stiff bargaining, and it is imperative that we should keep our own will in this matter and attempt to get the conditions that we desire to see before entering the Common Market.

Mr. G. Brown

But does not the right hon. Gentleman think that one way in which we might maintain our will and might he helped to get the conditions we require is to be seen to be trying to develop alternative ways in case we fail?

Mr. Butler

While we are concentrating on the negotiations the important thing is to take a constructive view of our chances in those negotiations. The right hon. Gentleman can be quite satisfied that we are ready for any contingency, should it arise.

Sir D. Walker-Smith

But does not my right hon. Friend's approach to this matter contradict the wisdom of the elementary maxim that it is a mistake to put all one's eggs in one basket?

Mr. Butler

We had better see how we get on with the present eggs.