1.
GV ZOOM BACK EEC building
0.13

2.
CU Mr Rippon (SOF)
1.23

3.
SV Mr Marshall steps down from aircraft
1.31

4.
CU Mr Marshall (SOF)
2.02


TRANSCRIPT SEQ 4: QUESTION: "How disappointed would you be personally if this thing were not settled at this session?"



RIPPON: "Well I think we ought to, I think we probably will, so there's no need for anxiety yet."



QUESTION: "And what abut New Zealand, isn't' the New Zealand government going to be breathing down your neck on this?"



RIPPON: Well I don't think so, we've been in very close contact all along. Trying to see how we can best deal with the anxieties New Zealand farmers have."



QUESTION: "Well, if the terms you get aren't acceptable to them, in effect they have a king of veto don't they?"



RIPPON:"I don't think so, no, and they've never expressed it that way themselves."



QUESTION: "Wouldn't it be difficult for you to sell it to parliamentary opinion?



RIPPON: "Well, I think people are very anxious that we should make arrangements that protect out traditional suppliers, particularly New Zealand. We've made arrangements to cover almost everybody now, in one way or another, but of course if you try and plan ten years ahead the trading patterns are going to change anyway, I mean nobody has absolute guarantees for the future. But what we can't do in this negotiations is get more than we've got already in the way of traditional arrangements, we can't give people better guarantees than if we stay outside."



QUESTION: Mr Marshall, what terms would be acceptable to New Zealand?"



MARSHALL: "I do believe that a satisfactory settlement can be reached if the political will is present".



QUESTION: "Are you going to in effect a power of veto"-



MARSHALL: "I hope that won't be necessary and I doubt whether I could if I wished".



QUESTION: "What's the best you could hope for".



MARSHALL: "I think the best we could hope for is what we've asked for, that's the continuation of our trade".



QUESTION: "Do you think that's likely?"



MARSHALL: "We are, as we've already said, prepared to be flexible".




Initials SGM/0202 SGM/0136



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Both Mr Rippon, Britain's chief negotiator in the Common Market talks, and Mr Marshall, New Zealand's deputy Prime Minister, appeared optimistic when asked in Luxembourg today (Monday) about the negotiations for Britain's entry.

These are expected to be Mr Rippon's final major talks with the Common Market countries. The talks tonight are expected to follow the traditional pattern of developing into an all-night session, dealing first with relatively minor issues such as Britain's entry into the European Coal and Steel Community, and then more vital subjects such as safeguards for New Zealand. The terms that evolve from these negotiations will form the basis for the British government's white paper on entry into the Common Market, and the basis for the great debate expected in Britain over the summer on entry.