§ Dr. M. S. Millerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.
§ Mr. DellI have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs' Council on 17th January.
The Council agreed to enter the substantive phase of the multilateral trade negotiations on the basis of a number of working hypotheses drawn up in the GATT. The Council emphasised the 252W importance of a positive result from the negotiations and of reciprocal obligations between trading partners. Particular stress was given to the need to ensure that safeguard action could be taken selectively, to the need to ensure that common rules are applied on customs valuation and on countervailing, to the Community's export interests, and to agriculture. The Community's determination to continue to seek differential and favourable treatment for developing countries, and in particular the least developed of them, was reaffirmed. The more advanced developing countries would be expected to accept certain reciprocal obligations. On industrial tariffs the Council agreed to an initial offer in accordance with a Swiss harmonising formula. It recognised that adjustments to the offer would be needed. The Community for its part rejected the idea that exceptions and partial exceptions should be balanced by extra cuts elsewhere. The Council expressed the opinion that the tariff cuts should be implemented in two tranches, the first of five annual stages and the second, a conditional tranche, of three such stages. The Council would examine the general economic situation to see whether the conditions for transition to the second tranche were fulfilled.
The Council also authorised offers to be made, in response to requests received in November, in respect of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in agricultural goods and non-tariff barriers to trade in industrial goods.
The British Government welcome the fact that these decisions of the Council enable the Community to participate in the next phase of these GATT negotiations and hope that they will now be able to proceed to an early and positive conclusion.
On steel, in further development of the decisions taken in December, the Council endorsed the principle that Community producers should not lower their prices for products that are governed by the Commission's mandatory and guidance prices, in order to match foreign competition. But this will only take effect where the Community has negotiated bilateral agreements with the supplying countries, on the price and tonnage of their exports to the Community. We shall, of course, be keeping in close touch with 253W the Commission about the progress of these negotiations.
The Council approved the mandate for negotiations for a new cooperation agreement with Yugoslavia. Negotiations with the Yugoslav Government are expected to start soon.
The Council also requested the Commission to pursue the negotiations with Cyprus in order to establish a mutually acceptable basis for a new agreement on trade in agricultural products and to report back to the Council at its next meeting on 7th February.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary explained the stage reached in the United Kingdom in enacting legislation for direct elections to the European Assembly. The Council
1973 Area January February March April May June Scotland … … 1,143 1,417 779 1,663 390 992 London and South East … … 2,400 2,658 2,368 1,855 1,063 1,369 Wales … … 257 300 304 305 40 551 South West … … 584 245 358 193 330 609 East and South … … 834 784 883 819 725 815 Midlands … … 459 918 1,697 629 487 1,019 Northern … … 768 379 1,035 513 521 468 North West … … 1,553 1,702 1,234 909 489 1,187 Yorkshire and Humberside … 631 855 435 435 560 578
1973 Area July August September October November December Scotland … … 1,083 234 512 209 561 873 London and South East … … 2,189 818 1,224 1,194 848 1,704 Wales … … 290 156 497 394 953 363 South West … … 171 148 107 527 144 346 East and South … … 589 677 534 149 300 248 Midlands … … 786 200 353 949 2,482 907 Northern … … 224 169 845 1,129 576 708 North West … … 1,045 978 1,480 300 529 1,141 Yorkshire and Humberside … 327 280 311 175 508 431
1974 Area January February March April May June Scotland … … 889 537 2,769 717 485 545 London and South East … … 2,811 2,848 1,532 2,220 2,302 2,277 Wales … … 239 1,185 415 440 307 152 South West … … 192 663 322 114 264 355 East and South … … 704 1,397 1,207 1,063 Midlands … … 911 786 1,289 1,394 — — West Midlands … … — — — — 297 320 Northern … … 1,360 498 449 470 496 508 North West … … 891 1,225 1,095 1,020 773 3,896 Yorkshire and Humberside … 786 752 486 496 280 400 East Midlands … … 567 385 East Anglia … … 189 41 254W
1974 Area July August September October November December Scotland … … 1,580 2,022 1,299 1,959 3,036 1,492 London and South East … … 2,007 4,354 3,378 2,391 5,022 2,684 Wales … … 482 291 351 632 1,400 1,091 South West … … 127 677 459 789 1,851 650 East and South … … West Midlands … … 482 271 419 1,284 3,172 1,389 Northern … … 770 659 588 1,370 1,215 2,298 North West … … 1,156 1,140 887 2,698 1,826 1,593 Yorkshire and Humberside … 480 1,040 994 653 1,619 1,199 East Midlands … … 537 622 735 1,989 975 1,061 East Anglia … … 64 — 58 91 852 168 will review the situation in member States again in March in preparation for a discussion at the European Council in April.