HC Deb 22 December 1976 vol 923 cc663-5
36. Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when next he intends to meet the Foreign Ministers of other EEC countries.

38. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet EEC Foreign Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Crosland

On 18th January 1977, when, following the United Kingdom's first assumption of the Presidency, I shall chair the next meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Mr. Henderson

Will the right hon. Gentleman undertake to make that a historic event by marking his chairmanship by getting agreement on a new fisheries regime? Is he aware of the statement by the Minister of State yesterday that if there is gross over-fishing in January it will be difficult to control? Will he accept that many people in the fishing industry are genuinely concerned about how seriously he takes this matter? Does he regard it as sufficiently serious a crunch issue to say that he will withdraw from participation in the Council of Ministers and prevent a unanimous decision being taken unless our interests are recognised in this issue?

Mr. Crosland

Anyone in the fishing industry who thinks that I do not take fishing seriously must be out of his mind.

Mrs. Winifred Ewing

Tell that to the North Sea skippers.

Mr. Crosland

As for agreeing to give priority to getting a proposal accepted for an interim regime in January, the answer is "No", unless that regime suits the interests not only of Humberside fishermen but of those off the coast of Scotland. It is only given that condition that we would accept an interim fisheries regime.

Mr. Skinner

Are these Common Market meetings doing any good at all? Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that it seems to me that every time we have these meetings they finish up with Britain going under once again, as with the recent remarks made about fishing? When he meets his colleagues again—if he finds he has to—will he tell them that we obliged them by borrowing £2,300 million in order that we could go on financing their manufactured goods in the Common Market, which in the year of reckoning totalled £912 million sold to us in excess of what we sold to them, and that that situation will be even worse this year?

Mr. Crosland

Yes, Sir. I shall try to incorporate some of those statesmanlike sentiments.

Mr. Blaker

Has the right hon. Gentleman yet discussed with his Community colleagues the important point he made recently at the NATO ministerial meeting about the risks involved in the transfer of resources from the West to the Soviet Union, in that it might help the Soviet Union to achieve its objectives in the Third World and to manufacture goods which would be sold to Western countries at unfair prices? If so, what was the reaction of his colleagues?

Mr. Crosland

I cannot say that there was a single conclusion, since these Councils do not pass resolutions, but the matter was discussed at the last European Council, and I would like an opportunity to raise it again because I attach great importance to it.

Mr. Greville Janner

When my right hon. Friend meets his Common Market colleagues, will he suggest a joint approach to Mr. Brezhnev to express, first, the delight of the House at the release of Mr. Bukovsky from prison and, secondly, the disgust of the House at the arrest of 30 professors and their wives in Moscow yesterday, and, thirdly, to suggest that if Mr. Brezhnev really wants détente he should beat his new sword into ploughshares and release from prison those whose only crime is that they want to emigrate to Israel?

Mr. Crosland

I, too, welcome, on grounds of personal liberty, the release of Mr. Bukovsky and the exchange which occurred, although it is an appalling commentary on these two totalitarian régimes that an incident like this had to occur. We lose no opportunity of pressing these points on visiting Soviet officials, whoever they may be, and a large part of the time taken up in the discussions with Mr. Ponomarev a few weeks ago was on precisely the matters my hon. and learned Friend has raised.