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new Government hoped to develop new policies for which it would need support in the House; contacts between Parliamentarians could help to spread information.
3.
More generally, Mr Jamieson and Sir D Day agreed on the importance of bilateral contacts and saw no problems over the current pattern of contacts. Sir D Day suggested that 2 Parliamentary exchanges a year would be useful.
4.
Sir Geoffrey Howe agreed that privatisation was a shared interest; another was US extraterritorial jurisdiction, which required constant management. Mr Clark noted that his Government had tabled a bill on extraterritorial jurisdiction, which he regarded as a 'last protection' device. He thought the problems were becoming more acute and that consultations between those similarly affected would be very helpful.
5.
Lady Young referred to the value of bilateral consultations and in particular to the 1984 Dalhousie Colloquium. Mr Jamieson suggested that Ministers might agree that Colloquia should be held every 2 years, with the next one in the UK. Sir Geoffrey Howe referred to the need to avoid institutionalising participants in any series of meetings and to maintain impetus by including younger participants. Mr Clark observed that Canadian Parliamentarians travelling abroad tended to come from too narrow a group; in view of his Government's large majority it should be possible to change that in the future.
Bilateral Problems
6. Mr Clark said that he was obliged to raise the question of seals. He understood the UK position and assumed that there was nothing substantive we could do but hoped that the UK would do nothing to exacerbate the situation. The Canadian Government hoped that establishment of the Royal Commission would relieve some of the pressure and lead to a more informed approach. Sir Geoffrey Howe and Lady Young noted that there was a strong animal welfare lobby in the UK, although it might be more vociferous than numerous. The UK would continue to encourage the European Commission to adopt a realistic line. Sir D Day said that it would be useful if the Royal Commission could bring out the scientific arguments in favour of culling seals.
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