HC Deb 28 January 1963 vol 670 cc127-9W
61. Mr. Warbey

asked the Lord Privy Seal what proposals he has made or will make during his negotiations with the European Economic Community in order to ensure that, before Great Britain joins the Community, full democratic control will be established over the executive and legislative organs of the Community.

Mr. Godber

There are already provisions in the Treaty of Rome covering these matters.

64. Mr. Turton

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has conducted any negotiations on the procedure to be adopted under Article 102 of the Treaty of Rome under which no legislation or administrative provision causing a disparity with conditions in the Common Market can be proceeded with in the Member State until the Commission has been consulted.

Mr. Godber

No. Article 102 is acceptable to us. If Britain joins the Community we shall wish to see that competitive conditions are not distorted and that British exporters are able to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by the Treaty. There is, of course, no question under this Article of the European Commission having the power to prevent a national parliament from passing legislation.

75. Mr. Russell

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is aware that a document entitled "Memorandum of the Commission on the Action Programme for the Second Stage", published by the European Economic Commission on 24th October, 1962, proposes as an objective for the third stage that the Council of Ministers would decide the volume of each member country's national budget and the general conditions for financing it; what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding this proposal in relation to Great Britain's application to join the Common Market; and what discussions he has had with the Six about it.

Mr. Godber

The proposal in the Commission's Action Programme for integrated budgetary policies is put forward merely as a possible objective for the final stage in the establishment of the Common Market. The proposal implies not that the Community Finance Ministers will decide on the size of individual national budgets, but that they will review generally public expenditure over the whole Community to make sure that no one member State is proposing in its budget a course of action involving difficulties for any of the others.