§ Q11. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Prime Minister whether he will give an assurance that his policy that Great Britain will not enter the Common Market unless satisfactory conditions are obtained during negotiations on entry includes the proviso that such conditions must not be damaging to the Commonwealth and the European Free Trade Association, and that, before agreeing on terms of entry, Her Majesty's Government will invite Commonwealth countries to express their views on such terms of entry.
§ The Prime MinisterSo far as the European Free Trade Association is concerned, I would refer to the replies which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave to Questions by the hon. Member for Guildford (Mr. David Howell) and other right hon. Gentlemen on 8th December, 1969.—[Vol. 793, c. 2–6.] On the question of Commonwealth interests, I would refer to Command Paper 3345. On this, as on other subjects, Commonwealth consultation is a continuing process.
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§ Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement setting out the few important question which have to be resolved before a decision can be taken to join the European Economic Community, and also setting out the minor questions which he is prepared to leave for settlement until after Great Britain has joined the European Economic Community.
§ The Prime MinisterThe position we should take up in connection with negotiations for our entry into the European Communities, and the questions which we would want to see settled in the negotiations, were set out in the statement made on behalf of the Government by the then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the meeting of the Council of Western European Union at The Hague on 4th July, 1967 (Cmnd. 3345). I have nothing to add to that statement, which, as I told the House on 4th December, remains our position.—[Vol. 792, c. 1695–1703.]