§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the growth rate in the Common Market in 1969 and 1970; and what are forecast growth rates for 1971 and 1972.
§ Mr. RipponThe information is as follows:
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY RATES OF GROWTH OF GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT PERCENTAGF INCREASES (CONSTANT PRICES) Forecast 1969–68 1970–69 1970–75‡ Germany 8.1 4.9 4.6 France 7.7 6.0 5.9 Italy 5.9 5.1 5.5 Netherlands 5.1 * 4.7 Belgium 6.5 * 4.8 Luxembourg 7.0† * 3.0† E.E.C. 7.3 * 5.2 * Not available. † Estimated. ‡ Gross Domestic Product. Sources: E.E.C. General Statistics. O.E.C.D. Growth of Output 1960–80.
§ Mr. Stratton Millsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reply has been received from the European Economic Community about the Government's proposals relating to the Safeguarding of Employment Act of Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. RipponAgreement has been reached with the Community under which we will have, for a period of five years, a derogation from the Community's legislation in the field of free movement of labour in respect of Northern Ireland. This will permit the maintenance in force of the Safeguarding of Employment Act, 1947, during this period, and we have told the Community that if we were to judge it necessary at a later stage, after we have joined, we would wish to revert to the matter within22W the institutions of the enlarged Community.
§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government of Northern Ireland or any public body constituted by that Government will be entitled to claim against the European Social Fund in respect of expenditure incurred under Article 125 of the Treaty of Rome; what arrangements have been made to enable such claims to be lodged; and whether existing Northern Ireland legislation on resettlement grants and vocational retraining will have to be amended.
§ Mr. RipponNew regulations are being compiled for the operation of a reformed European Social Fund and it is not yet possible to determine the extent to which Northern Ireland may benefit from its provisions if we enter the Community. The question of what administrative procedures might be followed to enable claims to be lodged can only be determined in the light of the regulations which have still to be approved by the Community. At this stage, we are not aware that any amendment to Northern Ireland legislation will be required.
§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the existing European Economic Community schemes for the retraining of redundant workers and the payment of resettlement grants compare with those which exist in Northern Ireland at the present time.
§ Mr. RipponThe European Economic Community imposes no harmonisation of schemes operated by Member States for the retraining of redundant workers and the payment of resettlement grants. Member countries have their own schemes which are similar in intent but which differ in detail from those in force in Northern Ireland.
European Coal and Steel Community schemes provide for financial help to be given to workers faced with redundancy and enable training to be given to workers before they become redundant. Workers obliged to move can obtain resettlement grants. The European Social Fund—which is being reformed with effect from the 1st of January, 1972— 23W enables member Governments to be reimbursed with half the cost of retraining unemployed workers or workers subject to prolonged under-employment and resettling workers who have to move to obtain new employment.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT matters of major national interest over which Her Majesty's Government could prevent the Council of Ministers or the Commission of the European Economic Community making a decision contrary to British interests; and whether matters not designated of major national interest would, if the Council or Commission so decided, be binding on any Government and Parliament of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. RipponIt is neither possible nor appropriate to list in advance matters which Her Majesty's Government may consider to be of major national interest in an enlarged Community from 1973 onwards. The arrangements referred to by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his statement on 24th May protect the vital national interests of Member States in the Community. In any event the Community treaties require unanimous decisions in many important areas.—[Vol. 818, c. 32.]
§ Mr. Woodhouseasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the percentage contributions to the European Economic Community budget in 1980 by each of the members of the enlarged Community, assuming that all four present candidates accede, on each of the assumptions considered in the course of the negotiations.
§ Mr. RipponIt is not possible to make meaningful estimates for either the gross or net contributions for 1980 for members of a Community of Ten. In the case of the present members, the correctives which limit changes in an individual country's share of the budget—see annex A of Cmnd. 4715—will not apply after 1977. In the case of the applicant countries no limits will apply to budgetary contributions after 1979. For the reasons explained in Cmnd. 4715 in respect of the United Kingdom, no valid estimates can be made in these circumstances24W of gross budgetary contributions in 1980 and afterwards. Similarly it is not possible, so far ahead, to make a meaningful forecast of the pattern of Community expenditure or of the budgetary receipts of individual member countries.
§ Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost, to the latest available date, of the poster campaign advertising the Government's White Paper on the European Communities and to what Vote that cost has been charged.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleThere has been no poster advertising for the White Paper (Cmnd. 4715).
§ Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will complete the table in paragraph 93 of Command Paper No. 4715 by showing similar figures of gross contributions and possible receipts, upon the same assumptions as to membership, in those years for the six existing members of the Community.
§ Mr. RipponI have nothing to add to the answers given to the right hon. Members for Leeds, East (Mr. Healey) and Stepney (Mr. Shore) on 19th July and 21st July.—[Vol. 821, c.224–6; Vol. 821, c. 313–5.]
§ Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the total direct and indirect cost to public funds that will have been incurred by his Department from 1st June last to the end of October next in exposition of and promotion of the policy of accession to the European Communities; and to which sub-heads of his Department's Vote such cost will be charged.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleThe only estimated costs are for the Factsheet operation and the short version of the White Paper. On the basis of present plans for the period in question these amount to £615,550. But in the case of future expenditure much will depend on public demand for these documents. These costs will be borne on the Central Office of Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office votes.
25W
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received the communication from Mr. Maurice E. Green relating to Jersey and Great Britain's possible entry into the European Economic Community; and whether he will make a statement upon the matters raised therein.
§ Mr. Geoffrey RipponYes, on 14th June. The reply made it clear that the contents of Mr. Green's letters have been noted but that the composition of Jersey's Constitutional and Common Market Committee is a matter for the Insular authorities.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the Government's discussions with the Independent Television Authority for time to advertise the Government's case for entry into the Common Market; and what were the results of these discussions.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleTelevision advertising was considered in order to publicise the availability of the Fact-sheets on "Britain and Europe" only. The advertising film prepared for this was of similar content and wording to the Press and poster advertising for the Factsheets.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether in his negotiations he will press for amendment of Paragraph 4 of Article 48 of the Treaty of Rome, to enable the benefits of the freedom of movement of labour to be extended to those employed in the public services.
§ Mr. RipponNo.