§ Q1. Mr. Ridleyasked the Prime Minister if he will convene a conference of heads of European Governments, in accordance with the resolution passed at The Hague on 9th November, 1968, details of which have been sent to him, in order to further the cause of uniting Europe.
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to the Answers which I gave in reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 28th November.—[Vol. 774, c. 722–4.]
§ Mr. RidleyIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the continual stagnation in our application to join the Community is both weakening and demoralising? Will he not agree that the excellent conference at The Hague gives him an opportunity to take the initiative in breaking the deadlock?
§ The Prime MinisterI certainly join my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary in his welcome for the success of the conference at The Hague, in which I believe the hon. Member himself played a significant part, and also for the proposal referred to in the Question. But I think that the hon. 1161 Gentleman will agree with the line taken by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State yesterday, when he said that progress must proceed by means of the next W.E.U. meeting.
§ Mr. JayWhy did the Government, at the recent E.F.T.A. conference in Vienna, apparently turn down a proposal for freer trade between the E.E.C. and E.F.T.A., which seems to have been supported by all the other countries in those groups and which would surely have been a sensible step forward?
§ The Prime MinisterWe did not turn down any proposal for freer trade between E.F.T.A. and the E.E.C.
§ Mr. SandysWhile recognising that much can be done within the W.E.U., may I ask the Prime Minister to consider the possibility of making contact with those other Governments which have publicly expressed themselves in favour of convening such a meeting of heads of Government, with a view to seeing how this can be furthered?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is no difference between any of us on objectives here so far as a meeting of this kind is concerned, but, as the Foreign Secretary said when this was first raised, it is very important that, if there were such a meeting, it should be properly prepared and that we should be satisfied that it would lead to progress, rather than just, perhaps, to a reassertion of previously prepared and stated positions. The answer certainly lies first of all in the next W.E.U. meeting, in the proposals made by M. Harmel and, failing that, in seeing whether any progress can be made to what the right hon. Gentleman has in mind.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeAs I understand the Resolution, it dealt with matters outside the Treaty of Rome. Is not the Prime Minister aware that there is quite a lot to be done in technology, which has already begun, and in the exchange of trade? Will he use his personal iniative in the matter?
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman will know the welcome we have given to the d'Estaing proposal, which involves the possibility of more co-operation in technology between members of the Six and countries which 1162 are not members of the E.E.C. We have put forward our own proposals in this field, on the basis not so much of intergovernmental but inter-industrial cooperation, and we are pressing these questions all the time. But, apart from the d'Estaing proposals, there has been a consistent attitude as a result of which co-operation between the Six and outside countries, including ourselves, has been frustrated.