§ 14. Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst)When he next plans to meet the German Chancellor to discuss the European single market; and if he will make a statement. [99957]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Keith Vaz)My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to meet the German Chancellor to discuss the single market.
The single market has created a wider market for United Kingdom goods, comprising 380 million consumers and constituting 40 per cent, of world trade. Such a huge market gives consumers greater choice, and the greater competition and liberalisation of the single market has helped to achieve lower prices. The single market provides for better consumer protection; gives United Kingdom citizens the right to work, study or retire in all the other member states; and has significantly reduced export bureaucracy for business.
The Government have provided significant input into the Commission's new single market strategy, which is due to be endorsed by the Helsinki summit. The strategy reflects United Kingdom priorities for the single market, including utilities legislation.
§ Mr. ForthI welcome the Minister back to Westminster from his bus trip, with his funny friend, 693 to try to stir up Euro-fanaticism among the excited population. However, why has the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs chosen not to have any discussions with the German Chancellor on the single market? On the face of it, it seems that German companies are rightly free to come here and, when the market thinks it appropriate, to take over British companies, whereas the German Chancellor seems perversely to take the view that United Kingdom companies should have no reciprocal right to take over, or merge with, German companies. Does the Minister think that that is not only a bit peculiar and unbalanced, but a direct violation of the single market which he has just been so lavishly praising?
§ Mr. VazI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his kind comments about my bus. I am sorry that he was not able to join us—some Conservative party members were on the Eurobus with us, and it was an enormous success. His comments on the single market dealt with commercial matters, and decisions on them will have to be made commercially between companies. The Government have no intention of interfering in those commercial decisions.
§ Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich)I have listened carefully to my hon. Friend's comments. However, in my constituency, the reality is that a number of major German companies have taken over the largest employers, including Rolls-Royce motors. That could be said to be a commercial matter, and there were no political objections to it, but some of us might have liked to have seen rather more effort going into objections. However, that did not happen. Is my hon. Friend aware that that is not the case in the response of German Ministers?
§ Mr. VazI can assure my hon. Friend that the United Kingdom benefits enormously from being part of the single market. There are 700,000 British businesses in the European Union. It is also very important that we should understand that 3.5 million jobs are dependent on us being involved and being part of the single market and the European Union, and that we shall continue to prosper for being part of it.