§ 58. Mr. David Stoddartasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will lay before Parliament a draft of the pamphlet which Her Majesty's Government intend to publish and distribute regarding the application by Great Britain to join the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. RipponNo. The Government are issuing a series of factual broadsheets, known as Factsheets, about the European Communities, about Britain's negotiations for entry, and about the implications for Britain if we join. Copies will be available in the Libraries of both Houses on publication. These will also be available free of charge in Post Offices throughout Britain.
The first Factsheet should be available in Post Offices from 25th March. Others will follow at intervals of about a fortnight. It will be recalled that the Government also issued free broadsheets during the 1961–63 negotiations.
§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will give full details of the progress which has been made at Deputy level in the Common Market negotiations concerning the question of tariff quotas on certain commodities of importance to British industry;
(2) if he will give full details of the progress which has been made at Deputy level in the Common Market negotiations concerning the question of capital movement;
(3) if he will give full details of the progress which has been made at Deputy level in the Common Market negotiations concerning the question of a fiscal harmonisation;
(4) if he will give full details of the progress which has been made at Deputy 139W level in the Common Market negotiations concerning the question of the modalities of Great Britain's participation in the European Investment Bank;
(5) if he will give full details of the progress which has been made at Deputy level in the Common Market negotiations concerning the question of the method of agricultural transition.
§ Mr. RipponDiscussions at Deputy level in the negotiations are confidential. Negotiatons on these subjects have not yet been concluded. When agreement is reached and recorded at a Ministerial Meeting, I will inform the House in my statement following that Meeting.
§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what solution Her Majesty's Government regard as acceptable and equitable for the problems of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement countries in the Common Market negotiations;
(2) what solution Her Majesty's Government regard as acceptable and equitable for the problems of New Zealand in the Common Market negotiations.
§ Mr. RipponAcceptable and equitable solutions to these problems if we join the European Communities are the subject of confidential negotiations with the Communities. I cannot go beyond my statement of 18th March without prejudice to these negotiations.—[Vol. 813, c. 1659–60.]
§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made during the Common Market negotiations to protect the livelihood of Great Britain's inshore fishermen if Great Britain enters the Common Market.
§ Mr. RipponHer Majesty's Government have reserved their position on the common fisheries policy of the European Economic Community. They are proceeding with a detailed examination of the national and regional implications of the policy for us. This includes exploratory contacts with the Commission of the Communities, which are without prejudice to our position generally on this issue.