HC Deb 01 July 1992 vol 210 cc844-6
13. Ms. Quin

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the priorities of the British presidency of the EC.

16. Mr. Dykes

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom current policy priorities for the EC presidency.

Mr. Hurd

The House will debate that question tomorrow. We aim to complete the single market; make progress toward limiting the scope of Community interventions; complete future financing negotiations; prepare for enlargement of the Community; conclude, if possible, the GATT Uruguay round; and build stronger relations with central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. All those matters were usefully discussed with the Commission in London this morning.

Ms. Quin

In view of the right hon. Gentleman's comments to the European Union of Women yesterday, is he worried that his priorities for the United Kingdom presidency will be blown off course by political spivs dressed in ermine?

Mr. Hurd

The hon. Lady is getting her news from headlines. I would not have dreamed of calling anyone in either House, or outside, a spiv or a gazumper. What I was criticising was the suggestion that the Prime Minister should have put himself in that position.

Mr. Dykes

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that to understand how the Community works some Members of this House, as well as people outside, could also do with an information pack? After recent hysterical attacks on the European Commission, will the Government remind hon. Members that the Commission—including the two British Commissioners—speaks with one voice and that the Council of Ministers of sovereign member states makes the decisions which are supplied and proposed by the Commission unless it is delegated legislation? It is a weird notion that some hon. Members on both sides of the House feel that the European central bank should be in London but that we should not join European monetary union.

Mr. Hurd

That question is an intriguing mix. It is important to make it clear that the Commission proposes and the Council of Ministers decides. What both the Commission and the Council need to do now—after the meeting in Lisbon and before they begin to discuss the merits of any proposal within the Community's competence—is to work out whether it is for the common good that the Community, rather than nation states, should do that. Unless it is clearly for the common good, it should be left to nation states.

Mr. Ernie Ross

Will the Secretary of State ensure that, during the British presidency, one of the highest priorities is given to support for the new Government of Israel and its determination to have a continued dialogue towards resolving the conflict there? Will he also take the opportunity, on behalf of the House, to wish the new Israeli Government every success when it is formed? I am sure that all hon. Members are pleased that that Government have won on their policies. Both Jews and Arabs in Israel have voted for policies which ensure that territorial compromise is the name of the game. We wish them every success in that continued dialogue.

Mr. Hurd

That is gracefully expressed by the hon. Gentleman, who has a keen and continuing interest in the Palestinian problem. We shall do our best during our presidency to support the peace process and I join the hon. Gentleman in hoping that it will now resume with renewed impetus.

Sir Peter Hordern

To deal with the high level of fraud in the European Community, particularly in relation to the common agricultural policy, will my right hon. Friend ensure that the provisions of the Maastricht treaty which deal with the extra powers given to the European Parliament to investigate the European Commission are carried through successfully?

Mr. Hurd

Indeed, it is important that the provisions in the Maastricht treaty that enable the Parliament and, indeed, the Court of Auditors to do more, should be put into effect. We see no contradiction between that and the exercise that I have already described of restricting Community institutions' scope for intervention.

Mr. Kaufman

Consequent on the right hon. Gentleman's response to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross), will the Minister express the anger of this House at the admission by the outgoing Prime Minister of Israel that he deliberately intended to sabotage the Madrid peace process? Will the right hon. Gentleman offer his congratulations to Mr. Rabin, not only on his excellent victory, but on his stated determination to speed up the talks with the Palestinians to try to achieve a settlement as quickly as possible? Above all, will he congratulate the electorate of Israel on voting to rescue the true identity of their country?

Mr. Hurd

I have not seen Mr. Shamir's statement, so I cannot comment on that. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has sent a warm message of congratulations and support to Mr. Rabin. We hope that the Government of Israel will be able, with the co-operation of others, which is also necessary—I am thinking of Syria and Palestine —to set the peace process going again with renewed impetus. That is important for us all. What was the right hon. Gentleman's last point?

Mr. Kaufman

My last point was about the decision of the Israeli electorate.

Mr. Hurd

On the whole, I am in favour of congratulating electorates, particularly our own.