§ 41. Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the progress of negotiations to join the Common Market.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleI have nothing to add at present to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 4th February.—[Vol. 810, c. 1936–7.]
§ 43. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what transitional, and long-term, safeguards for the Commonwealth, in case of United Kingdom entry into the European Economic Community, have now been agreed; and what are the Government's proposals to preserve for Great Britain and extend to the enlarged Community preferential outlets in the overseas Commonwealth, in return for outlets in the enlarged Community for the overseas Commonwealth.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleMy right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy has already informed the House in his various statements of the arrangements made for dependent territories and independent Commonwealth countries in Africa and306W Asia. Other problems, notably those of New Zealand, developing Commonwealth sugar producers and association for independent Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans, still remain.
§ 45. Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom has representatives on the advisory committee on the provision of hearing aids within the Common Market; what studies are being made on the harmonisation of laws in this regard; what assessment has been made on the impact on British exports of hearing aids if both Great Britain and Denmark join the Common Market; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleI have no knowledge of such a committee. The Community has taken no steps towards the harmonisation of laws on hearing aids. At this stage it is not possible to be specific about the prospects in the European Economic Community for individual industries. These will depend in the short term on the negotiations on transitional periods and on the response of industry to the generally wider opportunities offered by membership of the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the proposals made by the French representative at the Brussels negotiations on Friday, 5th February, 1971 regarding New Zealand's guaranteed butter exports; what these proposals were; what was the reaction of the Dutch to these proposals; what alternatives the British negotiators put forward; and with what results.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleThere were no meetings between Community representatives and the United Kingdom on 5th February at which the subject of New Zealand was discussed, nor have the Community yet put to us at any meeting any proposals to deal with the problems of New Zealand.