Mr Humphrey Atkins: Yes, I agree that it is highly desirable for the Community to direct its attention to the really serious problems—not only trade with Japan, but unemployment and major structural, industrial and social problems. If, as I hope, we can achieve a settlement of our budget problems and a reform of the CAP, we shall be able to direct our attention to those serious and important matters.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: It is not a question of a treaty. It is an inter-governmental agreement based on the principles that were approved by the House in 1978. The aims of the foundation are to seek practical ways to improve mutual understanding between the peoples of Europe, to promote a better understanding of the European cultural heritage, and to promote a greater understanding of European integration, from...
Mr Humphrey Atkins: That has been the basis of our discussions during the past few months about our contribution to the budget. We have reached the position where our contributions are far in excess of our receipts. We have been discussing this matter with our European partners since May 1979. We achieved a useful result in May 1980, and I have no doubt that we shall achieve useful results in the coming spring.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: Yes, Sir. I agree with my hon. Friend. The tariff on Scotch whisky is much too high. Scotch whisky is preferred in Japan to Japanese whisky, for obvious reasons, but the tariffs, even though they have been reduced by a minimal amount, are too high. This is one matter on which we seek Japanese co-operation.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: That matter was not on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday, or on Monday. However, I have no doubt that it will be discussed at the meeting of the European Council at the beginning of next week.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: I do not think that I need detain the Committee for long at this hour of night on the clause stand part debate, with which we can discuss any remaining matters arising out of schedule B. We have had two full days of discussion in Committee about most of these matters but, nevertheless, a number of hon. Members have raised points with which I should deal. Although my hon. Friend the Member...
Mr Humphrey Atkins: My hon. Friend is right, but that matter was covered during the debate on Second Reading. The Government's view then—it remains the same—was that we should act. We thought that we had held our hand long enough and that we should go ahead with the Bill. I have no further advice to offer the Committee save that we should proceed. The right hon. Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell), the hon....
Mr Humphrey Atkins: My hon. Friend referred to acting on the Canadian Government's request. I remind him that we are not acting on a request of the Government of Canada. We are acting at the request of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, which are supported by nine of the 10 provinces.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: No, I shall not. The hon. Gentleman can speak again if he wants to do so. No hon. Member has advanced reasons why we should not approve clause 1. The Bill has been presented to us by the Senate and House of Commons of Canada. Everybody who has spoken agrees that they should decide the future of Canada. We should give them that power by approving the clause.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: Her Majesty's Government have made it very clear to the Polish authorities that we deplore the massive violation of human and civil rights in Poland. We have called on the Polish Government to lift martial law, release those detained without trial and resume a dialogue with the Church and Solidarity as soon as possible.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: We are in close touch with the International Committee of the Red Cross because of the handling of the humanitarian food aid that we and other countries are sending to Poland. Of course we deplore the detention of Lech Walesa without trial, just as we deplore the detention of anyone else. He is still detained, but he was recently visited by a Polish priest and appeared to be in good health.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: I have seen newspaper reports of what my right hon. Friend the Member for Sidcup (Mr. Heath) apparently said in the United States yesterday, but I am too old a hand to rely entirely on newspaper reports.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: I agree with my hon. Friend, who may have noticed the communiqué, issued following discussions in Russia yesterday between President Brezhnev and General Jaruzelski, to the effect that any attempts to change the socio-political system further will be cut short in a most resolute manner. That applies not just to martial law. It is clear from that communiqué that there is no change of heart...
Mr Humphrey Atkins: The response of Her Majesty's Government and our North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies to the situation in Poland was set out in the ministerial declaration of 11 January. That declaration also outlined measures which might be taken if the situation in Poland showed no improvement. A number of such measures have now been taken. Should the situation in Poland deteriorate further—we all...
Mr Humphrey Atkins: We have made it clear in NATO that any move by the Soviet Union to interfere directly in the affairs of Poland will be met immediately by the measures and rebuffs that we have described in the statement to which I referred.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: The hon. Gentleman will surely have noticed that the discussions in general between the United States and the Soviet Union about the reduction of future theatre nuclear weapons are still going on. Furthermore, the review conference in Madrid relating to the Helsinki Final Act is also continuing.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: There are no sporting relationships between ourselves and the Soviet Union at the moment. [HON. MEMBERS: "Of course there are."] There are no events scheduled between ourselves and the Soviet Union at the moment.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: I refer the House to the statement issued on 11 January to which I have referred.
Mr Humphrey Atkins: The position of the Ten remains as set out in the declaration of Foreign Ministers on 4 January, a copy of which was placed in the Library. The Community has discontinued food sales at special prices to Poland, and funds for that purpose have been diverted to humanitarian aid. European Community Foreign Ministers agreed on 23 February to allocate a further £4·5 million for this aid. There...
Mr Humphrey Atkins: The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is "Yes". On the second part, I believe that the restrictions on credit upon which the Community has embarked in relation to Poland are having an effect.
