§ 2.46 p.m.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement on the last meeting of EEC Ministers about the future of the JET (Joint European Torus) Programme.
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, JET was not discussed substantively at the Foreign Affairs Council on 21st June but the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs informed his European colleagues that, in view of its high political content, the Prime Minister intended to raise JET at tomorrow's meeting of the European Council.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for that helpful and informative reply, may I ask whether he is aware that there has been some criticism in Brussels, suggesting that we have rather overplayed our hand in this matter and have generated a good deal of irritation among the smaller countries, such as Belgium and Holland, through what they have been apt to call our rather crude tactics? Is the noble Lord aware of that criticism, and would he care to comment on it?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, the position is that at the Research Council on 29th March it was agreed that the choice lay between Culham and Garching, but the view was held that the choice of site could not be made until the basis of the organisational structure had been decided. The organisational proposals put forward by the Commission and the Council Secretariat, which we supported, proved unacceptable to some Member States and were remitted to officials for further work.
Lord BRUCE of DONINGTONMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that many of our EEC colleagues have not the slightest hesitation in pursuing their quite legitimate national interests and that for Her Majesty's Government occasionally to dig in their heels must sometimes be a cause of considerable satisfaction?
§ Lord WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, can my noble friend say whether the Commission has reached any decision and put forward any proposal about the siting of JET? Further, can my noble friend say—if JET is to be sited at Culham—whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to set up a European school at Culham?—which I believe was one of the original reasons why a long time ago the Commission proposed that Ispra rather than Culham should be the site.
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, with regard to my noble friend's first question about the Commission's choice of site, I can confirm that Commissioner Brunner said at a Press briefing on 21st June that the Commission supported Culham as the site for JET and that he hoped Chancellor Schmidt would agree. With regard to the second question about the European school, we are prepared to set up a European school at Culham. This would need the agreement of the Board of Governors of the European schools, but we shall make a formal proposal to them immediately there is a decision to site JET at Culham.
§ Baroness ELLESMy Lords, while considering the best ways of getting co-operation among the other Member States of the European Community, particularly where large sums of money are to be invested in the United Kingdom, 1005 may I ask whether the noble Lord would agree that the Minister responsible for these negotiations is a Minister who undoubtedly has shown considerable anti-European sentiments? If there is an indication that he would like the United Kingdom to come out of the European Community, is it not rather odd that that Minister should be trying to get JET sited at Culham?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, the noble Baroness has her views on these matters and always, of course, tries to make Party political capital whenever she can. As I said in my original Answer, this matter is being raised by the Prime Minister himself at tomorrow's meeting.
§ Baroness ELLESMy Lords, would not the Minister agree that it is not a question of political capital but a question of the United Kingdom staying within the European Community in the future?
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, could the noble Lord add to what he said? Are we to understand from what he said about the structural basis that there is now no longer any question of the team at Culham being disbanded at the end of this week, which appeared to threaten at one time? Could he also tell us whether, indeed, it is the case that we are still blocking the approval of research and development funds for Ispra pending a satisfactory solution to the JET issue?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, if discussions on the site are still in progress we hope that the Commission will again extend the contracts of employment of the design team. Their basic salaries are paid, of course, by their parent laboratories. There is no evidence that they have been offered other contracts. With regard to the second point about Ispra, because the programme for the largest joint research centre at Ispra of course involves a substantial increase in its fusion role, we do not think it is sensible to decide on the Community fusion programme piecemeal, especially when there has been no decision on JET, which of course was intended to be its centrepiece. However, I should like to stress that there will be some fusion research at Ispra, even if JET is not sited there but at Culham.
§ Lord SEGALMy Lords, would my noble friend bear in mind that an excellent teacher training college is now unfortunately being vacated at Culham and that this would form an admirable site for the proposed training college?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I am sure that that is a useful suggestion which I shall pass on to my right honourable friend. We have already earmarked a building. I am not sure whether it is the same one as that which my noble friend has in mind, but we certainly take note of what he says.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that his statement about the European school will be received with great pleasure by all those who want us to look at this matter as a European as well as a British interest?
§ Lord STRABOLGIYes, my Lords; and, of course, it is very relevant to the European personnel who will be working there and whose children need, when they go back to their own countries, to have taken the Baccalauréat if they wish to go to European universities.