§ Q2. Mr. Moateasked the Prime Minister if he will seek to meet the Heads of Government of the present members of 621 the European Free Trade Area as soon as possible.
§ The Prime MinisterI have at present no plans to do so, Sir.
§ Mr. MoateDoes the Prime Minister agree that the European Free Trade Area provided for Britain a most valuable association of sovereign States, and that if he were able to establish similar arrangements for the whole of Western Europe, with strong overseas links, that policy would be likely to have the full-hearted consent of Parliament and the people?
§ The Prime MinisterWhen EFTA was set up it had the full support of all parties in the House and it did a valuable job in that situation. What I think the hon. Member is suggesting is something that has been tried by successive Governments, going back to Plan G, proposed by the right hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mr. Maudling). Although this has raised hopes that something on those lines could be worked out, it has never materialised.
§ Mr. MilneIs the Prime Minister aware that the agreements made with the EFTA countries gave advantages to those countries at least comparable with those extracted from us on membership of the EEC? Will he look at the replies which his right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave yesterday on the question of renegotiation? If renegotiation does not come to the point that the Government want, will we look at the question of withdrawal?
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in the debate on foreign affairs on Tuesday of last week, when he set out once again the position of the Labour Party and the Government.
§ Mr. HeathWill the Prime Minister also agree that unless Britain had become a member of the European Community, the other EFTA countries which did not become full members would never have been able to get the arrangements that they obtained? If Denmark, Ireland and Britain had not become full members, Norway would never have been able to get the arrangements she has.
§ The Prime MinisterI think that Norway, and to some extent Sweden, un- 622 doubtedly benefited from some of the consequential provisions arising out of the fact that EFTA had virtually disappeared as a result of the accession of other members to the EEC. But, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, the difference between the two Front Benches on this matter relates to the terms on which entry was secured.