FORM OF BALLOT PAPER (Hansard, 23 April 1975)

§ Mr. Goodhart
I beg to move Amendment No. 115, in page 4, line 4, at end insert 'Economic'.

§ The Chairman
With this amendment we are to discuss the following amendments: No. 139, in page 4, line 5, leave out 'Community' and insert 'Communities'. No. 88, in page 4, line 7, after 'European', insert Economic'. No. 140, in page 4,line 7, leave out 'Community' and insert 'Communities'. 1703 No. 89, in page 4, line 7, leave out (The Common Market)'. No. 141, in the Title, line 3, leave out 'Community' and insert 'Communities'. No. 132, in Clause 1 page 1, line 7, leave out 'Community' and insert 'Communities'.

§ Mr. Goodhart
The hon. Member for Nottingham, West (Mr. English), in moving his new Clause 19, said that he was seeking to help the Prime Minister, and in a way I, too, am trying to help the Prime Minister. Before he became Prime Minister the right hon. Gentleman used to be keen on reminding the House that Europe was not the same as the European Economic Community, and when Ministers of the previous Conservative Government fell into using that shorthand term he constantly pointed out that there was a wider Europe—a Europe which included Eastern Europe, Norway, Scandinavia and even Spain and Portugal.
In fact, there is no way by which we can withdraw, even if we wanted to, from that wider European community. What the British people are being asked to decide on 5th June, or some later date if the Government cannot keep to their timetable, is not whether we should withdraw from Europe or the European community but whether we should depart from the European Economic Community. It is right, therefore, to have the correct words on the ballot paper.

§ Mr. Spearing
In the Long Title the words are "European Economic Community". That was pointed out in the debate, and the Front Bench did not dissent from it. The Government have acceded to the request that in the question set out in the schedule the words "Common Market" should be added in brackets, and I believe that that has universal acquiescence. But the words "European Community" still remain, and, as the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart) has pointed out, whatever may have happened subsequently, the legal title of the Community by which it has been known is European Economic Community. The European community as such is not the same as the EEC. If the Government wish to be fair about it, they should accept the new clause.

§ Mr. Gerry Fowler
The crucial question here is whether we want to be pre- 1704 cise or whether we want to be understood by the broad mass of the people. The wording proposed for the ballot paper. "The European Community"—subsuming what are now, in the conventional phrase, the three Communities, with the second part of it, "The Common Market"—will be readily understood by everyone. If we simply put "European Economic Community"

§ Mr. Spearing
No, with "Common Market" in brackets.

§ Mr. Fowler
A group of amendments has been selected for debate and I am speaking to them. That would be the joint effect of them all, because some of them propose the insertion of "Economic", and the Liberal Party's Amendment No. 89 proposes the deletion of the words "Common Market".
There is a dilemma as to the right form of words. In our view, we have chosen a form of words which is about as comprehensible as any to the man in the street, who, after all, is being asked to vote in the referendum. Subsumed within those words "Economic Community", now commonly used to refer to the EEC, are the Coal and Steel Community and Euratom. This form of words, therefore, has the virtue also of comprehensiveness. I ask the Committee to resist the new clause.

§ Mr. English
The Government are to be congratulated on putting into the Bill the title "Common Market", which was not in the White Paper, but the fact remains that the new clause is almost as daft as some of the drafting of the Bill.
In the Bill, as has been said, we have the words "European Economic Community", the title of only one of the European Communities. In the question we say "European Community"—singular, when it is in fact plural—but fortunately we have in addition the words "Common Market", the title by which it is commonly known. It would be nice to have the legal title, which, as the Minister of State has admitted, is "European Communities", not "European Community" alone, since a country cannot belong to one and not to the others.

§ Mr. Emery
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I indicated that I would try to raise this matter, although I appreciate that the conduct of Report stage is a matter for Mr. Speaker rather than for you.
The House is in some difficulty. Several amendments to the Bill have been accepted and Report stage is to be later today. I think that that is a mistake, but I am aware of the difficulties. However, I wonder whether the Leader of the House can give us an idea of how we should deal with amendments, particularly to parts of the Bill that will not have been reprinted following amendments to them in Committee. I am not trying to be difficult, but there is a problem when a Bill is taken on Report without having been reprinted after amendments have been made to it.

§ Mr. Edward Short
The hon. Member has been here for the whole day, as we all know to our cost. He knows exactly what amendments have been carried. He can draft amendments and hand them in to the Table Office, and they will be dealt with.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: (Mr. George Thomas)
It is a matter for Mr. Speaker, of course, but this gives me the opportunity to clear up a little misunderstanding that arose earlier. It is in order for any hon. Member to move a new clause in Committee, although not on Report, even though his name is not attached to it on the Order Paper.

§ Mr. Emery
May I thank you for dealing with that matter so expeditiously, Mr.Deputy Speaker. I think that the problem may be resolved by an amendment on Report, but I should nevertheless like to thank you for your statement.