§ 51. Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the President of the EEC Commission what actions need to be taken by member States to further common policies of the Community.
§ Mr. JuddMy right hon. Friend already has frequent occasions to discuss Community policies with Mr. Roy Jenkins; for example at EEC Council meetings when the development of specific common Community policies is under review.
§ Mr. WarrenWill the hon. Gentleman tell the House why, when the British Parliament sits for longer than any other Community Parliament, we find it impossible to find time to debate major common Community issues, such as the aerospace policy for the Common Market, which has been outstanding for debate in this country for more than two years?
§ Mr. JuddThere arc, of course, big problems of time in this House, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that, as was brought out in debate the other night, the Government are looking seriously and urgently at the whole issue of improving the method of scrutiny to make sure that hon. Members throughout the House have an opportunity to monitor in more detail what is going on in the Community.
§ Mr. Robert HughesIs it the Government's general intention that the members of the EEC should keep in step in regard to a common foreign policy? When will the Government come into step with the West German Government, which recently decided not to provide export 1385 credit guarantees for companies which trade with South Africa?
§ Mr. JuddPolitical co-operation is a very important part of the life of the Community. Naturally, on crucial issues facing us all it is better to achieve more progress working together than to posture independently as individual countries and fail to achieve effective common action. There are many ideas to be exchanged. As my right hon. Friend has already indicated this afternoon, in southern African policy we are constantly updating the appropriate action that we can take together.
§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopWill the hon. Gentleman bring home to the EEC that the common agricultural policy is quantitatively so large a part of the totality of common policies that it cannot be based on the distortions inherent in an artificial rate of the green pound?
§ Mr. JuddOne of the matters which give me a great deal of anxiety is that if the credibility of the financing of the Community is to be maintained we must look very seriously at the proportion of the budget taken up by the common agricultural policy.