HC Deb 24 June 1981 vol 7 cc245-6
44. Mr. Knox

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is now in a position to state what initiatives he intends to take when he assumes the Presidency of the Council of European Economic Community Ministers.

Sir Ian Gilmour

The Government's general objective when the United Kingdom assumes the Presidency will be to manage business efficiently and to contribute to the development of practical and constructive policies in the Community. Foremost among the issues to be dealt with during our Presidency will be work on the restructuring of the Community budget under the agreement of 30 May 1980. Other priorities will include the accession negotiations with Portugal and Spain and improvements in the working of political co-operation among the Ten.

Mr. Knox

Will my right hon. Friend agree that the setting up of a secretariat attached to the Council of Ministers will be high on the agenda during the next six months, particularly in view of the importance of greater co-operation on foreign policy within the Community?

Sir Ian Gilmour

As my hon. Friend will be aware, that was suggested by my right hon. and noble Friend in his Hamburg speech, and the Dutch Presidency has been gathering ideas for the implementation of the proposal. These will be discussed by political directors early in our Presidency, and we hope that agreement between member States will be forthcoming so that the improvements can be effected as soon as possible.

Mr. Denzil Davies

Is the Minister aware that many of us do not believe that either he or the Foreign Office has the will or the imagination to propose any reforms in relation to the Common Market? Is it not the case that, with the Foreign Office's vested interest in the status quo and its lack of desire to hurt or offend anybody—and with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food having apparently sold out to Sir Henry Plumb on the common agricultural policy—we are not likely to get any fundamental reforms either of the CAP or the Common Market budget?

Sir Ian Gilmour

I have expressed to the House several times my bewilderment and surprise that the right hon. Gentleman can go on saying this when he achieved absolutely nothing while he was at the Treasury. He blissfully ignores the fact that we achieved a good deal in the 30 May agreement, and that the Commission today is producing proposals for restructuring, and that these will be discussed during our Presidency.

Mr. Budgen

Will my right hon. Friend comment upon the proposals of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for a five-year plan for the reform of the CAP? Would it not be advantageous to British farmers if we were instead to have either a 10-year or a 20-year plan for the reform of the CAP?

Sir Ian Gilmour

I would not wish to bandy years with my hon. Friend. As he will be aware, the Commission is producing proposals for restructuring, and presumably proposals on the reform of the CAP today, so perhaps it would be better to postpone discussions on this matter until a later day, if not a later year.

Mr. Heffer

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that when the Labour Party National Executive Committee delegation went to see him about initiatives concerning Spain, one of them was not Spain's entry into the Common Market? We made it clear that that was a matter for Spain, and that we were concerned to defend democracy in Spain. We urged the Government to give every backing to those in Spain who were fighting for democracy, as against those who were trying to overthrow it.

Sir Ian Gilmour

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that that is true. We were concerned to further democracy. But I thought that there was also general agreement that one of the ways of achieving that objective was to facilitate Spanish entry into the Community.

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