HC Deb 21 March 1979 vol 964 cc1493-5
48. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet his European Economic Community colleagues; and if he will make a statement.

Dr. Owen

At the next Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 2 and 3 April.

Mr. Skinner

Will the Foreign Secretary take with him a copy of his anti-Common Market speech last Saturday? I think that the Prime Minister must have put him up to it. Will he tell his colleagues that the British Labour Government are increasingly becoming more and more in line with the views of the majority of the British people about British membership of the Common Market? Will he also say that the whole question of the Common Market will be a dominant issue in the general election campaign, especially in places like Bolsover and Plymouth?

Dr. Owen

It is abundantly clear to me that I should send a copy of the speech to my hon. Friend. In that speech to the regional Labour Party meeting I made it clear that I believed that the figures I gave, and have repeated to Conservatives in the House, show that reform from within the EEC can be achieved, has been achieved by this Government, and will be achieved to an even greater extent by the next Labour Government.

Mr. Amery

Will the right hon. Gentleman take the opportunity to try to achieve a concerted European policy in support of the initiatives that the United States is now taking to restore stability to the Middle East? Will he also try to achieve a concerted policy of European support for the modernisation of industry and armaments in the Chinese People's Republic?

Dr. Owen

There is a concerted European policy among the Foreign Ministers on both the Middle East and China. There is also a concerted policy on Rhodesia, which the right hon. Gentleman might wish to look at and take careful note of.

Mr. Spearing

When my right hon. Friend next meets his colleagues, will he tell them that there is much concern in the United Kingdom about the £1 million-odd that has been supplied by the EEC for information services prior to direct elections? Will he explain to his colleagues that one of the reasons for that is that the elections are sometimes misnamed as being for a Parliament? In view of what he said earlier today, does he agree that it would be much better and would save confusion—perhaps in June—if future references to the elections related to an Assembly? The only Parliament of the United Kingdom is here in Westminster.

Dr. Owen

The Act refers to an Assembly. I believe that the information money, both from the Parliament and the Commission, would have been better spent if it had been allocated to the individual parties so that they could inform their electorate as they thought best. The Commission has provided satisfactory assurances that arrangements will be made that will not interfere in any way with the electoral process. I should have thought it would be wise to follow the Dutch precedent of inter-party supervision. However, agreement has not been reached on that matter.