§ Mr. C. Johnsonasked the Lord Privy Seal what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to Recommendation 356, adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 8th May, 1963, on the role of the Council of Europe in the near future; and what action Her Majesty's Government propose to take on it.
§ Mr. HeathRecommendation 356 is currently under consideration in the Committee of Ministers' Deputies at Strasbourg and has not yet been officially communicated to member Governments of the Council of Europe.
Her Majesty's Government believe that the primary role of the Council of Europe is to act as a forum in which the question of European unity and European problems generally should be discussed in their broadest aspects. They do not however think that the Council of Europe is necessarily the best framework for dealing with the detailed problems of British relations with the European Economic Community.
Her Majesty's Government are pursuing with member countries ways of implementing Resolution (63)6 of the Committee of Ministers, to which the Recommendation refers, and of holding useful political discussions in the Committee of Ministers. They are prepared to consider any practical proposals for improving contacts between the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly.