§ 61. Mr. Healeyasked the Prime Minister what reply he has made to the French Government inquiry concerning the speech of the President of the Board of Trade on 27th May about the Common Market.
§ 64. Mr. J. Hyndasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the reply made on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to the official request of the French Government for an elucidation of the recent statement of the British Government's policy concerning the Common Market project, as expressed by the President of the Board of Trade.
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§ The Prime MinisterI have seen the reports of my right hon. Friend's speech. As I understand it, the tenor of the speech was to try to show that while, on the one hand, we wished well to the Common Market as a movement towards European unity, on the other hand, if it were not accompanied by a Free Trade Area, it would tend to divide Europe rather than to unite it. An explanation in this sense has been given to the French Government, who expressed themselves as fully satisfied. I am arranging for copies of a full report of the speech to be placed in the Library of the House.