asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement on relations between the United Kingdom and France.

Her Majesty's Government attach great importance to the maintenance of good relations with France. Contacts between the two Governments are frequent across the whole range of foreign policy and European Community affairs, and there are exchanges on many matters of domestic policy also. Trading, cultural and personal contacts between France and Britain are continually increasing. Within the Community, recent differences of attitude and of national interest between Britain and France have attracted much attention as a number of difficult problems affecting the Community have had to be tackled. But France and Britain share deep underlying interests, and I believe that such differences as exist can be overcome.