President of the Commission (Hansard, 7 December 1977)

§ 47. Mr. Crawford
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet the President of the EEC Commission.

§ Mr. Judd
My right hon. Friend expects to meet Mr. Jenkins, the President of the EEC Commission, at the Council of Ministers meeting on 19th and 20th December.

§ Mr. Crawford
As Mr. Jenkins' colleague, Industry Commissioner Davignon, has said that there should be no cutback in the steel industry in the EEC, why are the Government decimating the steel industry in Scotland?

§ Mr. Judd
The Government are faced, as are all Governments with steel industries in the countries for which they are responsible, with a major international steel crisis. In tackling that crisis, the present Government have very high in their order of priorities the protection of the interests of individuals and communities that are dependent on the industry.

§ Mr. Ronald Atkins
When the Foreign Secretary meets the President, will he advise him of standard Civil Service practice, namely, not to criticise the Ministers of the component Governments, not to take part in controversial public debate, and to remember that the members of the Commission are the servants and not the bosses of the EEC?

§ Mr. Judd
I think that it is well understood that the present Government believe very deeply that the main political responsibility for the life of the Community lies with Governments and the politicians within those Governments.

§ Mr. Biffen
When the right hon. Gentleman next meets the President of the Commission, will he inquire from him what rôle the Commission sees for itself in making available European funds for fighting the Strasbourg elections, and will he ensure that this House is fully apprised of the Commission's views on how that money is to be allocated?

§ Mr. Judd
Obviously the management of elections is an important and sensitive 1381 issue. We shall want to be very satisfied, just as we would in the context of elections in our own country, that this has been handled with all appropriate propriety and that no arrangements are being made about which any of us, on either side of the House, would be unhappy or suspicious.