Dublin Summit (Hansard, 23 January 1985)

§ 39. Mr. Tony Lloyd
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with progress made in implementing the decisions of the Dublin summit.

§ Sir Geoffrey Howe
The decisions reached at Dublin helped set in place for the first time a mechanism to control Community spending. As a result of the discussions on enlargement, the negotiations with Spain and Portugal are now entering their final stages.

§ Mr. Lloyd
In view of the overwhelming good will and compassion of the ordinary people of this country and throughout Europe to those who are starving in the Sahel region of north Africa, can the Foreign Secretary tell the House why progress has been so slow in implementing the decision taken in Dublin to provide 1.2 million tonnes of grain to that region, especially in the light of the 139 per cent. increase in grain stocks in Europe?

§ Sir Geoffrey Howe
The substantial food aid commitments that were made by the Community in November are being delivered now. The commitments made in Dublin enabled the Community and the recipient countries to plan famine relief throughout the year ahead.

§ Mr. Forth
Will my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that he will not ask the House to approve any increase in EC resources until the conclusion of the enlargement negotiations? If enlargement is not to be recommended to the House because the negotiations have not succeeded, will he confirm that he will not ask for an increase in EC resources?

§ Sir Geoffrey Howe
Plainly, there is a close link between the conclusion of the enlargement negotiations and the time at which an application for an increase in own resources will be brought before the House.

§ Mr. Hardy
Since summits over the last few years have persistently committed themselves to reducing the amount of money granted for the support and subsidy of agriculture, and since in that period no reduction in such expenditure has occurred, when can the House expect to be informed that there has been such a reduction?

§ Sir Geoffrey Howe
The hon. Gentleman is one among many who believe that it is possible easily to reconcile the case, supported in all parts of the House, for support for our agriculture industry with a proper management of the resources devoted to that purpose. As a result of the decisions reached at Fontainebleau, an effective budgetary discipline has been put in place and a series of policy decisions have been taken either for the freezing or the reduction of prices, and for the installation of quotas. To give just one example, as a result of those decisions a substantial reduction in the output and, therefore, ultimately the cost, of milk is taking place. That policy will have to be sustained for a number of years.