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Common Market (Negotiations)

Volume 646: debated on Tuesday 24 October 1961

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Q5.

asked the Prime Minister if he will define the Ministerial group charged with the oversight of the Common Market negotiations.

No, Sir; the procedure by which the Cabinet discharges its collective responsibility is a matter for the Cabinet itself.

Will the Prime Minister bear in mind that when he announced that his right hon. Friend the Home Secretary was to be placed in charge of this vague and indeterminate group, at least the public is entitled to know what the Home Secretary, on his promotion, is being put in charge of? Can we not have some further details? If not, the right hon. Gentleman should not have mentioned it in the official statement.

It is contrary to practice to give any further information, for instance, as to the composition or terms of reference of any committee of Ministers.

Do we understand, from the announcement of the Home Secretary's responsibility, that the Home Secretary has a specific responsibility to the House in answering Questions about the Common Market?

No, Sir. I think that such Questions can be addressed to me, or to any Minister who is specially in charge of any particular aspect of them.

As regards matters of British agriculture, they would be to the Minister of Agriculture. If they were Questions on the Commonwealth, they would be to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations.