HL Deb 09 December 1974 vol 355 cc405-6
The Earl of DUDLEY

My 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 continue to press the Community Institutions to create a Regional Development Fund, in line with the invitation to them so to do extended by the Heads of State or of Government of the countries of the enlarged Community at the meeting in Paris on the 19th and 20th of October 1972.

Lord BESWICK

My Lords, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister expects to be discussing the establishment of a Regional Development Fund at the meeting of Heads of Government which is taking place in Paris today and tomorrow.

The Earl of DUDLEY

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his most informative and helpful Answer, may I ask him whether his lines of communication with the Summit are still open? Will he urge upon his right honourable friend the Prime Minister the need to obtain a specific sum for the Regional Development Fund rather than a general and imprecise undertaking? Will the noble Lord consider whether an appropriate sum might be of the order of not less than 300 million units of account?

Lord BESWICK

My Lords, I understand that this was a revised proposal by the Commission and, of course, this subject will be open for discussion. Therefore, there is no need on my part to inject this piece of information which is known. But the matter has become rather more complicated in recent weeks and, as I have said, the whole issue is one for discussion. I am sorry that I cannot be more informative at the moment.

Baroness TWEEDSMUIR of BELHELVIE

My Lords, could the Minister say why in the last Statement, which was given to this House in writing in Hansard and in another place on 27th November, there was no mention of the fact that discussions were being reactivated on the regional policy when they had lapsed for some considerable time?

Lord BESWICK

My Lords, I beg the pardon of the noble Baroness but I do not quite understand her point.

Baroness TWEEDSMUIR of BELHELVIE

Perhaps I did not make it very clear, my Lords. Regarding the statement of future Council business—which is made once a month and which was made orally in another place on 27th November and was inserted in Hansard here the next day—I am asking whether the Minister can say why, when regional policy is so important to this country and to the Community, this point was not mentioned as being a major item in future business?

Lord BESWICK

My Lords, if the noble Baroness is now going back to the earlier question—and I understand that she must be—I cannot answer her because I do not have the Statement in question before me. But certainly there has been no doubt in my mind—nor, I believe, in the mind of the Government—that this was one aspect of the Community position that must be renegotiated.