§ Q7. Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his official visit to Germany.
§ The Prime MinisterAs the House knows, the situation in Northern Ireland made it necessary to postpone this visit. I now plan to visit Berlin on 4th April and to have talks with Herr Brandt in Bonn on 5th and 6th April.
§ Mr. MartenWhen my right hon. Friend sees Herr Brandt, could he emphasise that the extra cost to Britain if we should join the Common Market of the recently increased food price was estimated in Brussels to be about £100 million, and that this is a burden that we cannot afford?
§ The Prime MinisterI am not prepared at this stage to give any judgment on the last part of my hon. Friend's question. But there is no doubt that in Bonn I shall have the opportunity to discuss all these questions with the German Chancellor.
§ Mr. LawsonWhen the Prime Minister goes to Germany, will he show a bit more courtesy than when he came to Scotland, when a substantial number of those on the Scottish Economic Council walked out from his meeting in anger?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is absolutely no truth in that suggestion. I was invited to have lunch with the Scottish Economic Council. I did so, and we had a discussion afterwards in which the Chairman, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, invited all to express their views. They did so freely, and it was extremely valuable. At the end I answered many of the points. With great respect, I know of no one walking out from that lunch.
§ Mr. LawsonI have taken my information from a report that appeared in the Scotsman last Saturday. I will accept that it is inaccurate if the Scotsman reporter says that it is inaccurate.
§ The Prime MinisterI must leave it to the hon. Gentleman whether he prefers to accept a Press report—and no representative of the Scotsman or any member of the Press was present at the lunch—or the reports of myself and others who were present. The position is as I have stated it, that no one left that lunch. The only person who left slightly before the end was the Press Officer from No. 10, because he wished to get into contact with people outside.