Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the application by Cyprus to join the European Community relates to the whole island of Cyprus; whether he has spoken to the Government in the Greek sector about this application; whether he has spoken to the Government in the Turkish sector about this application; whether the United Kingdom supported this application at the Council of Ministers' meeting in Brussels; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garet-JonesThe application for European Community membership was submitted by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The United Kingdom received representations from both the Government of Cyprus and the leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community. On 17 September, the Council referred the application to the Commission for its Opinion, a purely procedural act, in accordance with Article 237 of the EEC Treaties. In doing so, the Council reaffirmed its longstanding view that the benefits of relations with the European Community should extend to the whole population of the island.