POLITICAL LINKS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29685, 1 December 1961, Page 22

POLITICAL LINKS

Talks This Month (N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, November 29. The Foreign Ministers of the six Common Market countries plan to meet in Paris about December 10 to examine a revised plan for political co-operation between the Six. The date is not yet fixed, pending replies from West Germany and Italy. The working committee of the Six. presided over by Mr Christian Fouchet, of France, has produced a plan for political co-operation based on the nature of a European confederation, and on what President de Gaulle has called ‘‘the Europe of toe fatherlands.” The plan was discussed by President de Gaulle and the British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) last Saturday. According to usually wellinformed Paris sources, the two statesmen were in agreement on it. The Netherlands and the Belgian Government have criticised the plan as being insufficiently supranational, and have asked for the proposed meeting on the Foreign Ministers' level in order to iron out differences of opinion. In London today, the Deputy Foreign Secretary. Mr Edward Heath, rejected a suggestion in the House of Commons that the tide of informed opinion in Britain had been against Britain joining the Common Market. A Labour member, Mr John Stonehouse, had said people were now becoming more aware of the consequences, political and economic. Mr Heath, who is in charge of the British negotiations, replied that the view about a change of public opinion “does not correspond to the facts.” ■ Another Labour member, Mr Stephen Swingler. asked if Mr Heath could repudiate reports from Brussels that he had already pledged that Parliament would ratify the Rome Treaty next year and Britain would join the Common Market on January 1. 1963. Mr Heath replied: “I have had no discussions with members of the Six about a timetable and I have given no pledge whatever."