HC Deb 19 April 1978 vol 948 cc155-6W
Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has now taken to circulate the amendments to the Treaty of Rome contained in Command Paper No. 6252, approved by the House of Commons on 8th-9th December 1975; and if he will state the form and number of amendment letter or notices sent out and their principal addresses.

Mr. Judd

Following ratification by the United Kingdom and the entry into force of the treaty amending certain financial provisions of the treaties establishing the European Communities and of the treaty establishing a single council and a single commission of the European Communities, the text was published again in November 1977 in the Treaty Series (Cmnd 7007). The main Foreign and Commonwealth Office distribution of copies of the Command Paper included both Houses of Parliament, foreign missions in London and the appropriate British posts abroad and departments in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what document or notice he has received for the Council or Commissioners of the European Economic Community concerning the amendments to the Treaty of Rome contained in Command Paper No. 6252, approved by the House of Commons on 8th-9th December 1975; and if any such document is convenient for insertion into the standard volume containing the foundation European Economic Community Treaties.

Mr. Judd

My right hon. Friend's Department received from the secretariat of the Council of Ministers the certified copy of the text of the treaty amending certain financial provisions of the treaties establishing the European Communities and of the treaty establishing a single council and a single commission of the European Communities. This is retained in the treaty archives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, copies were received of the booklet referred to in the reply which I gave my hon. Friend on 10th November and of the Official Journal of the European Communities of 31st December 1977 (Vol. 20, No. L359), containing the text of the treaty and a notification of entry into force. These are not in the form of amendments for insertion into existing publications of the earlier treaties.