NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(8)L 51-7436
SUGGESTED SPEAKING NOTES
Lord Shepherd's suggestion that HMG should
commission a review of policy by an outside
revier body.
As the Noble Lord knows from his time
in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
problems connected with the administration
of the remaining dependent territories have
been reviewed on a number of occasions since
1966 in the light of changing circumstances
and requirements. The recent merger of the
Ministry of Overseas Development with the FCO
has given additional impetus to a comprehensive
review of the whole situation, including both
departmental organization at home and staffing
arrangements overseas, which was already under
way. This is being carried out with
officials from both the FCC and the Overseas
Development Administration taking part.
It
has proved to be particularly timely since the
transfer of the functions of the Minister of
of Overseas Development to the Secretary of
State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
gives us a chance to improve the co-ordination
of our policies in the aid field and as the
Noble Lord knows the Dependent Territories
are major recipients of aid. At the same
time it ensures that we retain the expertise
which already exists in the Overseas Develome
ment Administration of the FCO.
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The problems are complex and it will
take a little time to work out any adjustments
to our organizational arrangements which
changing circumstances require, but in the
light of the extensive review which is nov