§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and in what form he expects the publication of the EEC Document on the Direct Elections as agreed by the recent Heads of State meeting.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe European Council meeting on 12th and 13th July agreed on the text of a statement on direct elections which was issued to the Press. A copy was placed in the Library of the House. The Council of Ministers may reach final agreement on the formal text embodying the Community scheme at its meeting in September. I cannot yet predict when and in what form this will be published but a copy will be made available to the House as soon as possible.
§ Sir G. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are Her Majesty's Government's latest proposals for implementing the decision on direct elections to the European Parliament agreed unanimously by the Nine Heads of Government at the European Council on 12th and 13th July; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe European Council held in Brussels on 12th and 13th July agreed on the number and distribution of seats in a directly elected European Assembly and asked Foreign Ministers to settle outstanding issues on the implementation of direct elections. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister subscribed to the general agreement on these matters on the understanding, which was accepted by his colleagues, that whilst the British Government would use their best endeavours to hold elections in Britain during the spring of 1978 a number of444W practical difficulties might prevent those elections from being held. The United Kingdom was prepared at the subsequent Foreign Affairs Council to agree an Instrument which incorporated all the decisions taken at the European Council the week before. During the Foreign Affairs Council other countries expressed. concern that the provision accepting that practical difficulties might make the 1978 date impossible applied to Great Britain alone. A new Instrument was prepared with the intention of accommodating this point. That Instrument does not contain a legal commitment to hold direct European elections on any date. Its preamble, which is not legally binding on the member States, reaffirms the aim of the Nine to hold elections in the spring of 1978. But the actual decision to do so will, if the Instrument is endorsed, be taken at a Foreign Affairs Council when the Nine Governments, acting unanimously, will take the final decision on the first election date.
The Government were unable to endorse a scheme of this sort on the day it was presented to the Council as it was necessary to ensure that the new Instrument safeguarded British interests. Having examined the Instrument the Government are satisfied that it does so. The Government will support the acceptance of the new Instrument at the Foreign Affairs Council on 20th September. At that time the Government's representative will emphasise that although we will use our best endeavours to hold elections in 1978 it may not be possible for us to do so. We appreciate that, because of the form of the new Instrument, if elections are not possible in Britain they will not be held anywhere in the Community. But, if that is the form of Instrument which our colleagues prefer then we are prepared to endorse it.