§ 29. Mr. Russell Johnstonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's attitude to steps towards European Union outlined to the Belgian Prime Minister during his recent visit to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HattersleyIt is Mr. Tindemans' task to try to define what is meant by European Union. The Government's view on the future development of the Community was outlined to Mr. Tindemans on the lines set out in the White Paper on Membership of the European Community: Report on Renegotiation.
§ Mr. JohnstonDoes the Minister agree that the European Community, as such, will not continue to exist as an institution for any length of time unless there is a movement towards European Union? Will he also take the opportunity to remind his hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Mr. Cryer) that democracy, which the hon. Gentleman so desires, is certainly not obtained in this House now, but that we would hope that it will be obtained in the European Parliament in the future?
§ Mr. HattersleyI believe that the essential democratic function of the Community is exercised through the Council of Ministers, but that is a matter of dispute between the parties, particularly those parties which cannot anticipate in the immediate future being represented on the Council of Ministers.
As regards European unity, the hon. Gentleman may well be right in saying that the Community cannot continue if it does not move towards union. I am certain that the Community cannot continue if it moves over-rapidly towards union. This is a subject which must be approached with caution and discretion, and that is the policy of Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Mark HughesWill my right hon. Friend confirm the fact that unless effective economic union is created, with the transfer or resources to industrial as opposed to agricultural activities in the Community, the creation of political institutions is a waste of time?
§ Mr. HattersleyIf I understand my hon. Friend aright, I agree with him. The Community can move towards integration only at a time when the countries within the Community begin to have levels of growth and economic activities which are parallel. Many of the movements towards union would be of a disastrous character for the economically weaker members of the Community were we to move towards it precipitately, without getting something like economic convergence.
What must happen initially in the Community is a common attitude towards foreign policy and economic policy—questions which make it appropriate for us to begin to discuss the concepts of union after we have discovered that the prosperity of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland too, is in some way parallel to the prosperity of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Federal Republic of Germany.