§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Lord Privy Seal if he has asked during the negotiations in Brussels for Britain to 40W retain the right to negotiate trade agreements with Poland in view of the growing importance of such agreements in expanding the export trade of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HeathThis is not a matter for settlement in the negotiations. Each member of the European Economic Community at present retains the right to make bilateral trade arrangements with Sovietbloc countries. The Treaty of Rome envisages the development of a common policy for trade with third countries and, as a member of the Community, the United Kingdom would play a full part in the formulation of such a policy. It is not however, possible at this stage to forecast the effect of our accession on trade with individual third countries.