ATTITUDE TO SCHUMAN POOLING PLANBRITISH LABOUR SEEKS CONFIDENCE VOTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 June 1950, Page 5

ATTITUDE TO SCHUMAN POOLING PLAN—BRITISH LABOUR SEEKS CONFIDENCE VOTE

LONDON, June 22 (Rec. 10 a.m.). —The Labour Government tonight asked the House of Commons to approve its handling of the 'French invitation to join the European talks on the pooling of Western Europe’s coal and steel industries. It challenged with an amendment the Conservative-Liberal motion calling for Britain’s participation in the Paris talks on the Schuman Plan.

This amendment asks Parliament to approve the declared readiness of the British Government to take a constructive part in the conversations “with the hope that they may be able to join or associate themselves with this'eommen effort. “The amendment welcomes the initiative of the French Minister, M. Schuman, but points out that it was not possible for the British Government to take part in the international consideration of his proposals on terms which committed them in advance and <to institute a new high authority whose decisions would bind the Governments .concerned. The amendment will be moved in the House of Commons on Monday by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 'Sir Stafford Cripps. The party whips, who earlier had

doubted their ability to muster sufficient votes to defeat the Opposition, attack, are confident today that no Labour member will either abstain or vete against the Government on the amendment. ■ Later tonight there was a demonstration of support for the British Government’s stand by more than 30 Lribour back-benchers, who tabled a further amendment on the Schuman proposals. The amendment read that “while recognising!? .the significance of the endeavour to unify Europe’s coal and steel industries, this House fully supports the Government in its refusal to enter into undefined commitments and. stresses the importance of relating its responsibilities in the Commonwealth arid sterling area to any future proposals or- discussions.”