HC Deb 19 May 1976 vol 911 cc1408-9
47. Mr. Jay

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations, directives and decisions have been adopted by the EEC Council of Ministers and Commission, respectively, in 1976 to date.

Mr. Hattersley

The Official Journal of the European Communities lists all such items. In 1976, up to and including Official Journal Number L113 of 30th April, the Council has adopted 115 regulations, 18 directives and 30 decisions; and the Commission has adopted 876 regulations, five directives and 862 decisions.

Mr. Jay

Does my right hon. Friend think it is a reputable form of legislation that hundreds of Orders should be imposed on this country without the House having the opportunity even to discuss and take decisions on them, as we can with our own Statutory Instruments?

Mr. Hattersley

Many of the decisions I have described would not be regarded as legislation if they were taken by national Governments. They are administrative acts, mainly concerned with regulating the agricultural market in a minute, day-to-day way. I understand my right hon. Friend's feeling that this is unsatisfactory, but I am sure that he will agree that we live in an unsatisfactory parliamentary world. I have discovered that in the same period 666 Statutory Instruments were approved by this House and we debated only 36 of them.

Mr. Ronald Atkins

asked How many of these directives and regulations were concerned with the control of imports? Would the same generosity be shown to Great Britain as has been shown to Italy, which has introduced what amounts to import controls?

Mr. Hattersley

asked There is no question but that, if the United Kingdom economy were in the same condition as that of Italy and we made application under the same article of the Treaty as did Italy, we should receive the same sort of sympathy from our colleagues in the Community. I cannot tell my hon. Friend offhand how many of the decisions were related to import controls, although some specific items were so related, including one concerning the import of frozen fish. That was made lawful a few weeks ago in order to help our industry, and the Commission is aware of it.

Mr. Marten

On the question of the Commissioners working in the Commission and putting forward all these regulations, what is the present constitutional position of Mr. Spinelli, who is a candidate on the Communist slate and a Commissioner? Is he still allowed to work in the Commission as a declared member of the Communist slate?

Mr. Hattersley

I need notice of that question.

Mr. Heffer

Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the problems in relation to the Common Market is that certain member Governments bend the rules, and that sometimes we are put at a disadvantage because we play the game of cricket? Is it not time that we began an examination of precisely how they bend the rules and how that affects us in this country?

Mr. Hattersley

I did not think that playing or watching the game of cricket was a disadvantage, but I must tell my hon. Friend that I have some sympathy with his view. It is not only in the EEC that it is the habit of the British Government to adhere strictly to the letter and terms of laws and conventions. That puts us at a disadvantage compared with some other countries, which I shall not name and which feel more relaxed about their international obligations. I believe, however, that it is in the interests of our reputation in the world as a whole that we continue to accept the letter and spirit of the treaties into which we have entered. I am sure that that is what we must continue to do.