§ 42. Mr. A. Robertsasked the Prime Minister whether he proposes to suggest the holding of a Commonwealth Conference before any decisive step is taken by Her Majesty's Government concerning the Common Market.
§ 44. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Prime Minister if he will state in detail 36W the nature of the communications which he has received from the independent member Realms of the British Commonwealth, indicating the expressed views of each, in relation to proposals that Great Britain should join the Common Market; whether he intends to propose a Commonwealth conference to discuss this matter; and what relevant steps he has taken and proposes to take to ascertain Commonwealth opinion in so far as it affects United Kingdom policy.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have received expressions of the views of Commonwealth Governments both in direct messages and in the course of various meetings. These are by custom treated as confidential. We have made it clear, both in this House and to the other Commonwealth Governments, that we will have full consultation with them before deciding what course to follow in relation to the European Economic Community. The suggestion of a Commonwealth Conference is of course one of the possible ways in which this consultation might be carried out, but it is not necessarily the best adapted to the varying problems affecting each Commonwealth country.