HC Deb 22 January 1963 vol 670 cc28-9W
Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) what voting power in the Council of Ministers for Great Britain he has requested in the negotiations with the Six;

(2) what is his policy regarding the minimum voting power for Great Britain in the European Economic Community Council of Ministers; and to what extent he has established such a minimum voting power as a condition for Great Britain's entry in the negotiations with the Six;

(3) what the membership in the European Economic Community Parliament will be in the event of Norway, Denmark, Eire and Great Britain being admitted to the Community; how many delegates there will be from each of these countries if admitted; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding the number of delegates from Great Britain that should be permitted in the event of Great Britain's accession to the Treaty of Rome;

(4) if, in the negotiations for Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, he will insist that Great Britain shall have four votes and Norway, Denmark and Eire two each in the Council of Ministers when resolutions are required to be reached by qualified majority, and that not less than 20 votes shall be required for the adoption of resolutions.

Mr. Heath

So far as the United Kingdom is concerned, it has been agreed that our vote in the Council of Ministers would have the same weighting as that of other member countries of comparable size, and that the scale of British participation either governmental, parliamentary or individual, as the case may be, in the other institutions of the Community should be of the same order as that of other member countries of comparable size. The precise institutional arrangements for an enlarged Community including Norway, Denmark and the Irish Republic as well as the United Kingdom will be for negotiation between the Six and all the prospective new members.