The majority of the remaining territories have
shown no interest in independence or any
wish to stand entirely on their own feet. Most
of them are anxious for even closer contact
with us, but they have increasing doubts whether
we ourselves are really interested in
retaining them. Unfortunately measures which
we have had to take for domestic reus ons
e.g. restriction on imports, tend to affect
the economies of the dependent territories.
Our entry into R.E.C. is also likely to
have a detrimental effect on a number of
dependent territories. There is a feeling
that although they are "British Colonies" and
dependent on us, we do not give them any
special consideration and wherever there is a
conflict of interests, those of the dependent
territories tend to go to the wall.
Control of immigration has had a
considerable impact on the dependent territories
because they have felt very strongly that
they should not have been treated the same as
the independent territories. They share a
common United Kingdom and Colonies citizenship
with us and they consider that their British
passports should have the same validity as
passports issued in the United Kingdom. They
find it difficult to understand why their move-
ment to the U.A should be restricted. This
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problem has been raised in every territory
which has been visited by a Minister, and
although full explanations have been given for
the need to control immigration in the United Kingdom and the difficult problems which have