HC Deb 26 April 1978 vol 948 cc1374-5
48. Mr. Haselhurst

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to attend a meeting of the Economic and Social Committee of the Community.

Mr. Judd

None, Sir. The Committee normally invites Ministers only from the country holding the Presidency.

Mr. Haselhurst

Would it not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to attend such a meeting in order to demonstrate the British Government's support for the valuable work done in this institution in recent months under British chairmanship, not least in bringing together unions and employers to discuss common problems at EEC level?

Mr. Judd

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that observation. The Government attach the greatest possible importance to the work of the Committee. We are anxious to make sure that, when the new generation of representatives on the Committee is appointed later this year, it will be as strong a team as ever, demonstrating that we want to do all we can to help forward its work.

Mr. MacFarquhar

Even if my hon. Friend does not visit the Committee, will he suggest that it should initiate a discussion on the relationship of the negotiations on textile imports from Portugal to the prospects of Portuguese entry into the EEC? In view of the Government's determination that Portugal should be assisted in this entry, does my hon. Friend agree that every prospect of easing the sales of Portuguese textile goods to EEC countries should be facilitated?

Mr. Judd

The members of the Community are well aware of the problems facing the Portuguese Government in managing their economic recovery, but the precise arrangements that we can work out in the economic and trade spheres, and the rest, depend very much upon the major strategy that the Community has adopted on multi-fibres and generally on its trading arrangements with the outside world.

Mr. Dykes

Since the Economic and Social Committee often discusses financial statistics, will the Minister remind it that, allowing for all adjustments, the total net contribution by the United Kingdom to the Community budget last year was one-sixth of the total amount of debt interest paid by the United Kingdom Government on the IMF loans and rescue package, which has saved this country over the last few years?

Mr. Judd

What should be well understood in this country, and, indeed, in the rest of the Community, is that we are very significant net contributors to the EEC.