§ 43. Mr. Prenticeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he made to safeguard the interests of the Channel Islands during the recent negotiations with the European Economic Community; what terms he was able to secure on their behalf; and whether he will receive a deputation from the Channel Islands to discuss these matters.
§ Mr. RipponIn answer to the first two parts of the Question, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 3rd August. With regard to the final part, representatives of the Islands' authorities have met Ministers of the Home Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office and, subsequently, the closest consultations are being maintained between the Home Department and the Islands' authorities.—[Vol. 822, c.295.]
§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give an assurance that, if the United Kingdom joins the Common Market, Her Majesty's Government will not place value-added tax on food and will use their veto if necessary to ensure that it is not imposed as a result of harmonisation of value-added tax in the Community.
§ Mr. HigginsI have been asked to reply.
I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 22nd June.
There is provision for decisions about the harmonisation of value-added tax to be unanimous, under Articles 99 and 100 of the Treaty of Rome; but the application of this in any particular case must remain a hypothetical question at this stage.—[Vol. 819, c. 246.]
§ Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what, in the latest available period, were the contributions to the Community budget of the present six members of the Community; and what each member received from that budget.
427W
§ Mr. RipponWith the exception of figures for the guarantee section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (E.A.G.G.F.), which, due to the adoption of a different accounting period by the Community, are for the period from 1st July, 1968, to 30th June, 1969, the following are figures for 1969.
The figures are based on the latest published information.
E.A.G.G.F. GUARANTEE SECTION, 1ST JULY, 1968– 30TH JUNE, 1969
The figures are those for total expenses taken into consideration in making payments on account; the final accounts have not been published and could show a substantial variation from the figures below.
Receipts Contributions Belgium 112,055,808 131,046,800 Germany 288,747 900 460,282,500 France 632,592,200 344,360,300 Italy 234,285,900 411,492,700 Luxembourg 320,700 2,304,600 Netherlands 290,205,800 210,040,000
E.A.G.G.F. GUIDANCE SECTION, 1969 Receipts Contributions Belgium 11,826,499 12,960,000 Germany 45,100,881 49,920,000 France 36,660,880 51,200,000 Italy 54,303,638 32,480,000 Luxembourg 94,550 320,000 Netherlands 13,013,552 13,120,000
E.A.G.G.F SPECIAL SECTION, 1969 Receipts Contributions Belgium Nil 11,079,750 Germany 93,500,000 39,270,000 France Nil 39,270 000 Italy 44,000,000 39,270,000 Luxembourg 2,750,000 280,500 Netherlands Nil 11,079,750 EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND,1969 Receipts Contributions Belgium 959,641 3,220,083 Germany 11,874,000 11,709,343 France 3,600,624 11,709,343 Italy 19,313,376 7,318,370 Luxembourg Nil 73,184 Netherlands 844,207 2,561,430 428W
EURATOM RESEARCH AND INVESTMENT BUDGET, 1969 Contributions Belgium 3,247,645 Germany 9,841,350 France 9,841,350 Italy 7,544,365 Luxembourg 65,609 Netherlands 2,258,510
ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET, 1969 Contributions Belgium 7,492,994 Germany 26,557,444 France 26,557,444 Italy 26,557,444 Luxembourg 189,696 Netherlands 7,492,944 All figures are in European Economic Community units of account (u.a.) 2.4 u.a.=£1 sterling.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwelath Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT full details of the policies and administrative structures of the European Economic Community with respect to trade with, and development aid to, the developing countries as a whole.
§ Mr. RipponThe Community policies with regard to trade and joint development aid to the Associated African States and Madagascar are contained in the Yaoundé Convention signed on 29th July, 1969. The Library of the House has a copy of the Convention. The Convention also sets out rules on the administrative structures relating to its implementation.
The latest report by the Community dealing with its relations with developing countries is contained in its fourth General Report for 1970, published in February, 1971. A copy of this Report is also in the Library of the House.
Bilateral development aid programmes are the responsibility of the individual member Governments of the Community.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the measures being adopted by the European Economic Community to harmonise their external tariff structures with those recommended by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
§ Mr. RipponAll member States of the European Economic Community participate in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. European Economic Community countries have implemented the Kennedy Round reductions in common with other contracting 429W parties; from 1st July they have implemented their offer under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Generalised Preferences Scheme.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make available either in the form of a White Paper, or by placing in the Library of the House of Commons, the information which he obtained from the European Economic Community Commission and his study of trends on production and trade upon which the White Paper on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community based its estimates for the total size of the Community budget in 1973 and 1977.
§ Mr. RipponNo. The information used in assessing trends in production and trade was drawn from a number of widely available sources. The information from Community sources was confidential and it would be inappropriate to publish it.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a selection of the five categories of regulations, directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions which, under Article 189 of the Rome Treaty, Great Britain will have to adopt in their entirety on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, showing in each case the extent to which the ruling that the House of Commons in taking any action in respect of a regulation or decision will have to refrain from anything inconsistent with it.
§ Mr. RipponOnly in respect of three of the five categories of Community instruments will the House of Commons have to refrain from taking action which is inconsistent with these instruments; European Economic Community recommendations and opinions have no binding force.
Examples of a regulation, a decision and a directive are:
(a) Council Regulation 1466/70/E.E.C. fixing rebates granted to buyers of leaf tobacco from the 1970 harvest. This regulation is in the context of the common agricultural policy and could only be rescinded or amended by the Council.430W(b) Council Decision 69/205/Euratom of 30th of June 1969 setting up a Research Programme in respect of development of the Dragon (Reactor) Project. This decision stems from agreement of the Six within the Council to contribute to this specific project. Any action which one of the Governments of the six Member States might take to withhold its contribution would be considered incompatible with that State's obligations as a member of the Community.(c) Council directive 68/151/E.E.C. This directive sets out certain requirements concerning the publication of accounts and defines the grounds on which a court of law may declare a company null and void. Compliance with this directive has meant that the Member States have had to make the necessary amendments to national company law in force. Failure by a Member State to adopt the principles set out in the directive or the adoption of alternative principles at variance with those set out in the directive, would be incompatible with that State's obligation as a member of the Community.
§ Mr. John Wellsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes there have been in his European Economic Community negotiations on behalf of the Channel Islands since 21st July.
§ Mr. RipponI have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 3rd August to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis).—[Vol. 822, c.295.]
§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which members of the European Economic Community have legislated for the elimination of discrimination between men and women in regard to pay and other terms and conditions of employment; and to what extent this has been achieved.
§ Mr. BryanI have been asked to reply.
The principle of equal pay for women is embodied in the constitutions of Italy and West Germany. France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands have specific legislation providing for equal pay. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 1st July.—[Vol. 820, c. 169.]