§ Q5. Mr. Juddasked the Prime Minister on what date he proposes that the next Commonwealth Prime Ministers' meeting should take place.
§ The Prime MinisterAt the last Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Meeting held in London last January it was generally felt that the next meeting should be in 1970. I have no doubt that the Commonwealth Secretary-General whose duty it is to consult Heads of Government about a suitable date will follow this up at the appropriate time.
§ Mr. JuddWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, would he not agree that, because of our renewed 601 efforts to join the E.E.C., and continuing international crises in South-East Asia, the Middle East and West and Southern Africa, on which the collective deliberation of the Commonwealth would be valuable, an early date would be better than a late one for the next meeting?
§ The Prime MinisterAs my hon. Friend knows, we had a very successful meeting earlier this year. The Secretary-General has a huge problem to get 28 Heads of Government, all of whom have to attend to their own parliamentary timetables, budgets and the rest, to assemble in one Commonwealth capital at one time. An undertaking has been given that there will be consultation with the Commonwealth about any matter involving entry into the E.E.C. I have already had the opportunity of discussions on that kind of problem with Prime Ministers who have visited London since the conference.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyWould the Prime Minister take into account the problem of dates? With the possibility of a General Election next year it might even clash with the meeting. Could he clear this matter up?
§ The Prime MinisterIn our democratic Commonwealth there are General Elections going on nearly every year. I will study what plans my various Commonwealth Prime Minister colleagues have in mind before settling a date.