HC Deb 23 May 1973 vol 857 cc460-1
22. Mr. Moate

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will be taking in response to the proposals from the United States of America for an Atlantic Community.

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Anthony Royle)

I know of no new proposal in precisely these terms but we have welcomed the recognition by the United States of the need for continued trust and co-operation between Europe and the United States. We are discussing with our Community partners how to organise the constructive dialogue between the United States and Europe on which the summit agreed.

Mr. Moate

Does my hon. Friend agree that the proposals put forward in Dr. Kissinger's recent speech represent an historic opportunity to strengthen transatlantic links and particularly to acquire nil tariffs on industrial trade? Will he take steps to correct the unfortunate impression, which has been strengthened by reports of the Paris meeting of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, that the British Government are lukewarm about these American proposals?

Mr. Royle

I shall be delighted to do so. I welcome the recent confirmation of United States support for the European Community and its further growth, and I welcome too the confirmation that the United States Government will maintain their security commitments to the allies.

Mr. Lipton

In this kind of sensitive negotiation the reputation of the British Government as a reliable ally is not improved when one of our Service Ministers finds himself in personal difficulties which have all kinds of unfortunate repercussions.

Mr. Biffen

Will my hon. Friend confirm that it is the object of Her Majesty's Government's policy to work for the liberalisation of both the common external industrial tariff and the common agricultural policy in the context of the forthcoming GATT negotiations?

Mr. Royle

That is, of course, one more important aspect of the arrangements which were indicated by the United States of America. It is a mistake to ascribe too much uniformity to the problems set out in that statement or to hope to solve them in a single negotiation. Established institutions are already working on most of the issues but the time scales of those institutions all differ. The IMF and GATT work on different time scales.

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