§ Q4. Sir G. Sinclairasked the Prime Minister how, in negotiating Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, he proposes to safeguard Australia's growing export market in Great Britain, worth, last year. $A475 million, of which 65 per cent. enjoyed preferential duties.
§ The Prime MinisterI can assure the hon. Member that I am well aware of the importance to Australia of the British market. We are in close touch with the Australian Government about the implications for Australia of British membership of the European Economic Community.
§ Sir G. SinclairWhat has the Prime Minister done to co-ordinate Commonwealth action in preparation for the U.N.C.T.A.D. conference, due next year, especially over commodity agreements, as recommended by the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference of September, 1966?
§ The Prime MinisterWe are working on preparations for the U.N.C.T.A.D. conference, but this particularly refers, as the House knows, to the problem of developing countries. As I understand it, this Question relates to our entry to the European Economic Community, and the Australian market for Great Britain. On that question, I was discussing this last week with the Prime Minister of Australia.
§ Mr. BarnettOn the other hand, will the Prime Minister say what action he proposes to safeguard our exports to Australia, whether we get in to the Common Market or whether we do not?
§ The Prime MinisterI agree that this is important too, and we have had a number of bilateral exchanges on the ways in which both of us can help increase our trade, one with another. It is a fact that there has been a very major diversification of Australian exports in the last few years and its exports east of Suez now represent about 50 per cent. of its total exports. Japan has now displaced the United Kingdom as Australia's largest export market.