§ Q2. Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister what proposals he now has for visiting Brussels.
§ Q9. Mr. Sheldonasked the Prime Minister if he will now seek to visit Brussels.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no plans to go to Brussels at present.
§ Mr. MartenIf my right hon. Friend does go to Brussels, will he stress to the Common Market countries that when our negotiator called for a six-year transitional period for agriculture he meant what he said and that any retreat from this would be unacceptable?
§ The Prime MinisterIf I were to go to Brussels, I would consider what I should say there. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is at this moment negotiating with the Six in Luxembourg and will report to the House when he gets back.
§ Mr. SheldonDoes the Prime Minister consider that any economic consequences on entry disadvantageous to this country can be dealt with in the context of transitional arrangements?
§ The Prime MinisterI should have thought that the whole House accepted that the transitional arrangements had a very great importance to any permanent arrangement which we make, whether industrial or agricultural.
§ Mr. JayCould the Prime Minister say plainly whether the Government are or are not in favour of this country joining the political federation towards which the Common Market is now rapidly developing?
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman is making an assumption which many people do not accept.
§ Q8. Mr. Englishasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the recent discussions he has had with Commonwealth and European Free Trade Association Prime Ministers regarding the British application to enter the European Economic Community.
§ The Prime MinisterI have had a number of such exchanges. We are keeping our Commonwealth and E.F.T.A. partners in close touch with progress in these negotiations.
§ Mr. EnglishHas the Prime Minister had discussions with Commonwealth representatives since the publication of the Werner Report on the possible implications that that would have for relations between this Government and Commonwealth Governments?
§ The Prime MinisterI discussed these matters with some Commonwealth Prime Ministers and E.F.T.A. Prime Ministers in New York. That was after the publication of the Werner Report. However, none of us had had an opportunity to study it, and it did not arise in the discussions.