§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Her Majesty's Government do not propose to negotiate a deal with the five non-French members of the Six, do not propose to make a bid for special West German support, and do not propose to put pressure on France to facilitate United Kingdom entry into the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. RipponWhile we have had and will continue to have valuable bilateral contacts with governments of the Six, Her Majesty's Government is negotiating with the European Communities as a whole.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the proposed 10 per cent. increase in prices in the European Economic Community and the official statement by the Commission that if Great Britain entered the European Economic Community on 1st January, 1973, on any known terms, Great Britain would have to face increases of 25 per cent. to 30 per cent. for grain, 60 per cent. for milk, used in dairy industries and 70 per cent. for beef, will affect Her Majesty's Government's proposals to seek entry to the European Economic Community; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RipponThe effect of the changes in certain agricultural prices for the year 1971–72, recently agreed by the European Economic Community Council of Ministers, will be taken into account in the negotiations. I am not aware of any official statement by the European Economic Commission of the kind described.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in view of the recent rioting 31W in Brussels over agricultural prices in the Common Market and the resulting loss of life, he will, on his visit in May for discussions on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, take extra steps to ensure the protection of himself and his advisers.
§ Mr. RipponNo. I am satisfied that the Belgian authorities provide adequate protection.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the wage increases in 1970 of 14 per cent. on average in the European Economic Community, 18 per cent. in Italy, and 15 per cent. in Germany, which, if harmonised with United Kingdom wage rates would accelerate the rate of inflation, he will withdraw the application to join the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. RipponNo.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's attitude to the official French proposal that the terms under which Great Britain must join the European Economic Community will include acceptance of all market rules, that market European produce must have preference over goods from outside Europe, and that Great Britain must greatly increase their offer to pay 3 per cent. of Community charges in the first year of membership.
§ Mr. RipponHer Majesty's Government have made it clear that they accept the Treaty of Rome and the decisions deriving from it. The precise application of the Community's policies and rules to the United Kingdom and the detailed arrangements required to give effect to our commitments as a member of an enlarged Community are the subject of the negotiations with the Communities, the details of which are confidential. We are of course negotiating with the Communities as a whole and not with individual member governments.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about the discussions which took place on 30th March and the three negotiating sessions, concerning Great Britain's entry 32W into the European Economic Community; whether these included problems concerning the role of sterling as a reserve currency; and what discussions have ensued during the past week regarding a timetable on removing restrictions on the transfer by individuals and companies of capital between Great Britain and the Six and on the purchase of stocks and shares.
§ Mr. RipponI assume the discussions on 30th March to which the hon. Member refers are those of the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community. Her Majesty's Government have had no discussions on the subjects referred to in the past week.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now insist as a prerequisite for entry into the European Economic Community on freedom of action on foreign policy, freedom of action in commercial policy, and limits on transfer of rights from national to international bodies for deciding economic and monetary union.
§ Mr. RipponNo. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his statement of 30th June, 1970, in Luxembourg (Command 4401), made it clear that Her Majesty's Government accept the Treaties establishing the three European Communities and the decisions which have flowed from them, subject only to the certain points, specified in the statement, which we would wish to see settled in the negotiations.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) why on Wednesday, 24th March, Great Britain's Ministerial level negotiators for entry into the European Economic Community refused to accept the French Foreign Minister Schumann's demands that Great Britain's sterling balances should be diminished during the transition period of Great Britain's membership of the European Economic Community; whether it is still Her Majesty's Government's policy that sterling and the sterling balances are not negotiable; and whether he will make a statement;
(2) what full Ministerial discussions ensued at Brussels on Wednesday, 24th 33W March, regarding the free movement of capital between the Six and Great Britain; on what basis the United Kingdom negotiators claimed that without a five-year transitional period there would be a heavy burden on her balance of payments immediately after entry when Great Britain would be facing net costs arising from the common budget rules; and whether he will detail what these heavy burdens will be;
(3) to what extent when the United Kingdom negotiators in Brussels were discussing at Ministerial level on Wednesday, 24th March, the free flow of labour from the countries of the Six into Great Britain on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community these negotiators explained that coloured persons from the Six would have to abide by the Commonwealth and Aliens' Immigration Acts.
§ Mr. RipponThere was no meeting at Ministerial level in Brussels on 24th March.