§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their apparent presumption that entry of this country into the Common Market would be detrimental to the Commonwealth has been submitted to the conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London; and, if so, with what result.]
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for postponing this Question for a week or so. The noble Lord will understand that I cannot go beyond the terms of the communiqué which was issued by the Prime Ministers on Friday last. In that communiqué they expressed concern at the prospect of any economic division in Europe and its possible political implications. They also expressed the hope that these problems could be speedily and satisfactorily resolved with due regard to the interests of countries outside Europe.
LORD REAMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Earl for that comprehensive Answer. May I take it that this concern will be before Her Majesty's Government, so that they will take the earliest opportunity of trying to bridge the gulf between the Six and the Seven?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, it is difficult to foresee what form any agreement between the Six and the Seven might take. The Commonwealth is a very large trading organisation, as the noble Lord appreciates, and we must be certain that in any arrangements that are made the Commonwealth does not suffer. We will, however, keep these matters very much in mind.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, would the noble Earl consider publishing a White Paper of a factual and historical kind which will make this complicated subject clearer to ordinary people?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I am not sure that even a White Paper could make it clear. I will take that into account and see what documents there are on the subject.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House, whom we are very glad to see back after his few days' absence, whether he will keep in mind that we did have a principle at one time: this country first, the Commonwealth second and then the best we can do for everyone else.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, that is a principle, I hope, that still holds. The point is that it is in the direct interests of the Commonwealth that there should not be an economic division in Europe leading to a political division. We have all suffered from that much too much in the past. Therefore, we all try to combine the interests of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with the cohesion of Europe.