§ Q2. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his talks with Signor Fanfani; and to what extent these dealt with Great Britain's application to join the Common Market and the political implications of Great Britain's acceptance of the Treaty of Rome.
§ Q5. Mr. Rankinasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his talks with the Italian Prime Minister.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)I would refer the hon. Members to the communiqué which was published at the conclusion of the talks.
§ Mr. StonehouseAm I not entitled to more details than were contained in a rather empty communiqué? Is it not a fact that the Prime Minister assured Signor Fanfani that Britain would eventually accept complete political integration with the Six, but that this should not now be made known because the British public had not yet been conditioned to it?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is a matter of courtesy that both sides should stick to the communiqué. That is the object of communiqués. I think that I might allow myself to go outside it to the point of saying that what the hon. Member suggested is not the case.
§ Mr. RankinIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I did not observe from the communiqué whether he discussed with Signor Fanfani the effect of the Common Market on Italian unemployment? While I accept the safeguards written into the transitional provisions, may I ask the Prime Minister whether he pointed out to the Italian Prime Minister that in Scotland in particular we have sufficient supplies of unemployed of our own, without accepting any further supplies from Italy?
§ The Prime MinisterI quite take the hon. Member's point, but I still think that it would be a breach of normal 401 courtesy if I were to go beyond the communiqués which are issued generally on occasions of this kind.