HC Deb 21 January 1974 vol 867 cc1194-5
21. Mr. Moate

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress in the GATT negotiations.

Sir G. Howe

Following the official opening of the multilateral trade negotiations in September last year in Tokyo, the Trade Negotiations Committee, which was set up then by Ministers, held its first meeting in Geneva in October. Discussion since then has centred on the most appropriate structure for the preparatory work and for the negotiations proper. These can begin once the United States Trade Reform Bill, which gives the United States its negotiating authority, has been passed.

Mr. Moate

Recognising the general background difficulties, may I ask my right hon. and learned Friend whether he can confirm that it is the Government's intention to give every possible backing to maintaining the momentum of the talks? In view of the disintegration of Common Market policies on economic and monetary union, and virtually everything else, can he confirm that the Common Market negotiating position in GATT is likely to remain intact?

Sir G. Howe

While not accepting my hon. Friend's premise, I entirely agree with him about the importance of pressing ahead with the negotiations.

Mr. Benn

Will not the right hon. and learned Gentleman take seriously what his hon. Friend said? The French float and the effect it is bound to have on the common agricultural policy make it absurd that the British Government should have accepted a negotiating position that excluded discussion of common agricultural policy matters. Will he not wake up to the reality that economic and monetary union and the moves towards it, together with many of the other ideas aired at the Summit meeting in November 1972, have broken down and that the Government should respond accordingly?

Sir G. Howe

It is far too early to jump to the kind of conclusions to which the right hon. Gentleman is jumping—[HON. MEMBERS: "Jumping?"]—to jump, float or move in whatever manner the right hon. Gentleman is most accustomed to. It is equally wrong to conclude that agriculture has been excluded from the negotiations to the extent the right hon. Gentleman suggests.

Mr. Biffen

Does the negotiating position to which the British Government are committed assume economic and monetary union by 1980? Is it my right hon. and learned Friend's view that that assumption is likely to be validated?

Sir G. Howe

The Government's negotiating position is arrived at in the context of the European Economic Community and other treaty obligations as they now stand.