Free Trade Association (Stockholm Discussions)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 23 July 1959.

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Mr. Amory:

The view put by the right hon. Gentleman that this action creates a division in Europe is not one with which I could agree. As far as that has happened, it has happened through actions other than this. As I said, our hope and intention is to ensure that, on the contrary, this should be a bridge and not a source of division within the O.E.E.C.

In reply to the second part of the right hon. Gentleman's question, the way that we and our partners envisage the future would be that, first, we must get our arrangements completed. As soon as that has been done, no opportunity will be missed by members of the organisation to try to see that negotiations are resumed. As a matter of practical politics, the timing should be, first, to get our arrangements clear so that we can see how they may be dovetailed in with the arrangements of the European Economic Community and then to lose no opportunity of pursuing such negotiations. It would, however, be impossible at this stage to foresee exactly the kind of negotiations for which there will be an opportunity.