§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have expressed a wish that a Commonwealth Ministerial Conference should be held before Britain commits herself to joining the European Common Market and, further, whether such a wish has been expressed by any other Commonwealth Government.]
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE)My Lords, public statements made on behalf of the Canadian Government indicate that that Government is of the view that a Commonwealth Ministerial meeting should be held before there is any final commitment. The Australian Prime Minister for his part has said publicly that he expects that a meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers will take place before that stage. I am not aware of any similar statement on the part of other Commonwealth governments.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are now willing to give Commonwealth Governments an assurance that a Commonwealth Ministerial Conference will be initiated by Her Majesty's Government before Britain enters into any commitments to join the European Common Market.]
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREMy Lords, in the resolution passed on 3rd August your Lordships accepted the Government's undertaking that no agreement affecting the special interests of the Commonwealth would be entered into until it had been approved by Parliament after full consultation with other Commonwealth countries by whatever procedure they might generally agree. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister, speaking in another place on 31st July, said, as wassaid by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary yesterday, that if it were thought desirable to have a meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers before any final decision was put before Parliament, he would welcome such a meeting. Those were very clear statements and I can assure the noble Lord that Her Majesty's Government stand by them.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, arising out of that reply, could the Minister clarify somewhat the statement which was made yesterday by the Foreign Secretary on this subject, when the Foreign Secretary told my noble friend Lord Salisbury that this was a matter which must be discussed with Commonwealth Prime Ministers themselves? Further, may I ask whether we may take it that if a majority of Commonwealth Prime Ministers wished for such a Conference, Her Majesty's Government would concur with the views of the majority?
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREWell, my Lords, I think that it would be most unwise for me to make any statement that might interfere with the process of 83 consultation at Prime Minister level about Commonwealth consultation. I feel that it would be far better to leave this question to the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth to settle for themselves.