With your permission, Sir, I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
Under Article 237 of the Rome Treaty, "any European State may apply to become a member of the Community". The Council, consisting of representatives of the Member Governments, pronounces on each application by means of a unanimous vote after obtaining the opinion of the Commission; and the conditions of membership and the amendments to the Treaty necessitated thereby would be the subject of an agreement between the Member States and the applicant State.
Formally, there is nothing whatever to prevent this country applying independently for membership of the Community. As I explained, however, in the statement I made to the House on this subject on the 16th May, there are very good reasons of an economic nature against our entering the European Economic Community while Britain remains outside.