HC Deb 10 March 1975 vol 888 cc14-7
12. Mrs. Millie Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Industry which provisions of the Industry Bill are affected by EEC regulations.

Mr. Benn

I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 25th February how the exercise of the powers proposed in the Bill might be affected by membership of the EEC. All State aids that might be offered under the Industry Bill would be subject to the control of the European Commission under Articles 92–94 of the Treaty of Rome.

Mrs. Miller

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Italian tobacco industry, which is at present under State control, will, under the regulations of the EEC, end its control within one year? On 31st January the Italian Journal Stampa Sera reported that one year's notice has been given for State control to end and that private tobacco companies are already moving in to provide their own monopoly in the private sphere. This will not be to the advantage of Italy and it is unlikely to be to the advantage—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Lady must put a question.

Mrs. Miller

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the circumstances that I have outlined?

Mr. Benn

I thought that my hon. Friend was asking whether I was aware of something. I was not aware of the details of that case. However, my hon. Friend should be in no doubt that the powers exercised by the Commission under the Treaty of Rome are powers that the previous Government entrenched in our domestic legislation in Section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972.

Mr. Heseltine

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that on 3rd March his right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the other EEC countries that the Government could now accept the terms that had been negotiated? Does he agree with this set of negotiations?

Mr. Benn

The hon. Gentleman knows that the Cabinet has not yet determined its view on the renegotiation package. I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman, who is always shouting his head off about the powers of the National Enterprise Board, should not be concerned about the powers of the European Commission over the House of Commons.

13. Mr. Trotter

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many representations he has received from both sides of industry since the publication of the Industry Bill.

42. Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many representations he has received from both sides of industry since the publication of the Industry Bill.

Mr. Heffer

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from both sides of industry and from the City, which he is considering.

Mr. Trotter

Have not the heads of industry expressed their deep alarm at the unprecedented powers being taken by the Secretary of State and the spirit in which those powers are apt to be applied? Does the right hon. Gentleman deny that his intention in seeking further State control, intervention and ownership is to try to achieve a Socialist Britain after his own pattern, rather than an efficient free enterprise industry?

Mr. Heffer

The hon. Gentleman should be aware that we have received approximately 30 letters from various bodies. They have not been quite so critical as the hon. Gentleman suggests, although some obviously have been critical and negative in their approach. The Government intend to carry out the manifesto upon which they were elected in both February and October last year.

Mr. Moonman

In order to give the Bill an even chance of success, will my hon. Friend consider making a statement at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid further confusion about the whole process of the sharing of information and the Planning Agreements?

Mr. Heffer

The Bill is now in Committee. Naturally, there will be the closest parliamentary scrutiny by both sides of the Committee and statements will be made and explanations given relating to the points to which my hon. Friend has referred. If my hon. Friend has a specific point in mind, I suggest that he gets in touch with me or my right hon. Friend and we shall answer that point.

Mr. Tom King

In addition to the representations received from both sides of industry, may I ask what representations the Minister has had from the Home Policy Committee of the Labour Party—in which I believe his right hon. Friend has some distant interest—and what attitude he is taking towards those representations?

Mr. Heffer

Surely a number of standing committees continually discuss the programme and policy of the Conservative Party. The Labour Party has a Home Policy Committee, which is a standing body, which I believe is entitled to express its opinion on present and future Government policies.

Mr. Blenkinsop

Is my hon. Friend aware of strong representations from workers on Tyneside, for example, for the rapid passage of the Industry Bill and, indeed, the introduction of Bills for the nationalisation of the shipbuilding industry in order that worker participation may become a reality?

Mr. Heffer

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the most interesting features of life as a Minister in the Department of Industry is the number of deputations that one receives from trade unions and workers on the shop floor who insist that we get this Bill through at the earliest possible moment.