ROME (Hansard, 21 December 1972)

§ Q1. Mr. Meacher
asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to pay an official visit to Rome.

§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)
No, Sir. I paid an official visit to Rome from 2nd to 5th October.

§ Mr. Meacher
When the right hon. Gentleman does so, will he discuss European regional policy in the Mezzogiorno and Northern Britain? Will he also make it clear whether he intends to defy the Commission in maintaining the Industry Act levels of regional aid, or, if he is forced to submit, how will he save the regions from that which he implicitly acknowledges will otherwise be a sharp decline?

§ The Prime Minister
That has nothing whatever to do with Rome. Our position on regional policy is well known.

§ Sir Gilbert Longden
If my right hon. Friend goes to Italy will he remind the Prime Minister of Italy of the joint declaration of April 1969, made by the then Prime Minister of Britain and the then President of Italy, in which it was stated that only a united Europe can make its due contribution to peace, prosperity and international co-operation … Britain and Italy believe that the common interests of our continent, its security and its prosperity demand union. Will my right hon. Friend make it clear that those admirable sentiments are still those of Her Majesty's Government.

§ The Prime Minister
Yes, Sir, they were reaffirmed by the present Prime Minister of Italy and myself during my visit to Rome last October.

§ Mr. Fernyhough
Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that it would be appropriate for him to visit that part of Europe? If he went to Rome he might be able to call upon the Pope, and would it not be helpful if he were to discuss with the Pope what initiative the British Government could take towards ending the foul war in Vietnam and bringing peace there?

§ The Prime Minister
I discussed these, amongst other matters, with His Holiness the Pope during my last visit.