§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Southend, East on 3 July, Official Report, cols. 524—5, whether he can make an assessment of the effect on unemployment in the United Kingdom of the admission of Spain and Portugal to the European Economic Community with their nationals enjoying normal freedom of movement and employment under European Economic Community rules.
§ Mr. Alison:As my hon. Friend indicated in his reply on 3 July, it is not possible to quantify with certainty the employment effects of membership of the European Community. This applies equally to the future effect of the free movement of labour provisions in relation to Community enlargement. The employment effects of Spanish and Portuguese accession will in any case to some extent depend on a number of factors which have yet to be determined, including the timing of entry and the terms of the Treaty of Accession.