HC Deb 24 July 1962 vol 663 cc1274-7
Q6. Mr. Healey

asked the Prime Minister if he will publish a White Paper, before the Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers, setting out the state of the negotiations for Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, including the general outline of a possible agreement if this is available in time.

The Prime Minister

My right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal expects to make a further statement next week on the progress of the negotiations. If negotiations continue after the House rises, my right hon. Friend will make a report public in the same way as if the House had been sitting. I will consider with my right hon. Friend the possibility of publishing a White Paper when the present phase of the negotiations is over.

Mr. Healey

While welcoming this assurance by the Prime Minister, may I press on him the desirability of publishing a fairly detailed White Paper giving a resume of all the phases of this very complicated negotiation over the past twelve months so that the House as well as the Commonwealth Prime Ministers may have plenty of time to evaluate the results before various conferences meet to consider them in the autumn?

Secondly, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is expected that any agreement will be reached on voting arrangements in the enlarged Community before the Commonwealth Prime Ministers meet in September?

The Prime Minister

In answer to the first part of the supplementary, I think the hon. Gentleman has re-stated what I said. I hope we shall be able to do this. It is just a matter of working it out in conformity with our courtesies to the Prime Ministers' Conference. Perhaps I could have notice of the second part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

While also welcoming the Prime Minister's undertaking possibly to lay a White Paper, may I ask him whether he will also ensure that we shall be kept informed of the progress of the Cattani Commission?

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Bellenger

The right hon. Gentleman has said that if necessary the Lord Privy Seal will make a public statement. Surely the House is entitled to be communicated with directly, even if we are in recess, and the way to do that is, as suggested in my hon. Friend's Question, by publishing a White Paper?

The Prime Minister

No, I think there are two stages. My right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal has made a statement after each stage of the negotiations. The House has been sitting. He made one, I think, yesterday. He hopes to make one next week. The hon. Gentleman suggested that a similar statement should be made if the House is not sitting. Then there is a quite different question as to whether a summary of all these things could be brought together. That, I was saying, I would consider carefully having regard also to the period of its publication and the meeting of the Prime Ministers' Conference.

Mr. Nabarro

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that many of us sit for agricultural constituencies and that the important statement made yesterday by the Lord Privy Seal was carefully curtailed in subsequent discussion? If there is a White Paper published, could full emphasis be given in that White Paper to all the complexities inherent in the agreement reached so far that the Common Market Six accept the principle of an annual price review, as it is the predominating interest in these agricultural seats?

The Prime Minister

All that will be borne in mind. There are two questions —first, the making of a progress report while the House is sitting, the making of a progress report as soon as the negotiations finish; and then whether it would be helpful to bring them all together into a joint publication stating just what are the problems and what progress is made towards their resolution. All that we will try to do to meat the convenience of the House and to meet the quite proper requirements of the country, but also bearing in mind our prior obligation to inform, as we are in every detail, the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth.

Mr. Gaitskell

On the two points which have been distinguished by the Prime Minister, may I ask him whether he is aware that the Lord Privy Seal's statements in the House of Commons are published in HANSARD in full and that, therefore, hon. Members have access to them, whereas a statement made to the newspapers when the House is not sitting may only be published in an abbreviated form? Is he aware that this is really the case for publishing the Lord Privy Seal's statement, if one is made when we are not sitting, in a White Paper?

Secondly, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to give us an assurance that the outline of proposals, if such exists, which is put to the Prime Minister's Conference will be published at least as a White Paper, even if it is difficult to publish all the previous arrangements? Will that outline be made fully public before the Prime Minister's Conference meets?

The Prime Minister

As I said, I will consider it, but I could not give a definite assurance now because I have to try to consider what are the courtesies due to the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth.