§ Q1. Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on his meeting with President Pompidou on 18th and 19th March.
§ Q4. Mr. Redmondasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with M. Pompidou.
§ Q8. Mr. Skinnerasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent talks with President Pompidou.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)My talks with President Pompidou covered a broad range of subjects, including the European Community, European security and international monetary and economic questions.
§ Mr. HuckfieldCan the Prime Minister give a categorical assurance that there was no discussion of any new Anglo-French defence agreement, particularly involving nuclear weapons?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. I told the House that when I answered a supplementary question about the matter just before Easter. As I have told the House before, both President Pompidou and I take the view that this is not the time for such discussions.
§ Mr. RedmondWhatever views we may have on the subject of referenda, or may have had in the past, does my right hon. Friend agree that the principal argument being used in the House against membership of the Common Market is that there is a loss of sovereignty? Did President Pompidou therefore explain how the French people, who have been in the Common Market from the beginning, have the sovereignty with which to hold a referendum, or does it mean that the arguments about sovereignty are grossly exaggerated?
§ The Prime MinisterThe procedure for holding a referendum forms part of the present French constitution. But when France went into the Common Market no referendum was held.
§ Mr. SkinnerWhen next the Prime Minister has a chance to speak to President Pompidou, would not it be reasonable for him to take along his right hon. 1018 Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell)—
§ Mr. SkinnerI do not know about that. Would not it be reasonable for the Prime Minister to take his right hon. Friend to see to it that the country and his party's interests are not betrayed?
§ The Prime MinisterThese discussions are held between Heads of Government.
§ Mr. MartenWas there any discussion between my right hon. Friend and President Pompidou on the question of a directly-elected European Parliament? The countries of the Six do not seem to speak with one voice on this matter.
§ The Prime MinisterAs my hon. Friend knows, each country of the Six is perfectly entitled to have its own voice of the matter until there has been a discussion and they have reached agreement. This was one of matters which I discussed with President Pompidou in the general context of the development of the European Parliament. I think that he shares my view, which is that what is first needed is a study of the future development of the European Parliament to provide a basis on which we can consider such questions.
§ Mr. ThorpeWith particular reference to the referendum, can the Prime Minister say whether at that meeting or subsequently President Pompidou has expressed surprise or pleasure about the fact that his closest political imitators in this country are the Labour Shadow Cabinet?
§ The Prime MinisterIt would not have been possible for him to do that at the time of the meeting, because that was not then the case.
§ Mr. ShoreWhen the President of France told the Prime Minister about his forthcoming referendum, did the Prime Minister take the opportunity of explaining to President Pompidou how he intended to obtain the full-hearted consent of the British people, which he is pledged to obtain before entry?
§ The Prime MinisterPresident Pompidou has previously congratulated me on 1019 the remarkable majority of 112 with which Parliament endorsed the European policy last autumn.