in the UN, but these should be surmountable. Although continued dependence might be acceptable to the local population, pressure for full internal self-government could be expected to continue, and progressively to exact concessions from HMG, until dependent status became barely distinguishable in practice from that of Associated Statehood (v above).
Implications for Aid Policy
The
12. The level of aid to be provided to the dependencies is essentially a matter for political decision. criteria for the allocation of aid may be expressed in terms of need, poverty or growth, but these terms them- selves imply a political judgement on the standards to be achieved. As indicated in paragraph 8, in the allocation of aid the reasonable needs of dependencies are given priority over those of other recipients, but at least in the short term independence need not necessarily have a significant effect on the amount of aid which we provide. We usually continue to give relatively generous aid to newly independent countries, at least for a transitional period before normal criteriɛ
start to apply.
13. It is axiomatic that aid policy must be related to
HMG's political objectives for the territory concerned,
and should not obstruct the attainment of those
objectives. Thus in territories where the political choice is that we should seek to promote independence, we should be cautious before embarking on aid policies which would tend to increase economic dependence on HMG.
There are territories whose governments may themselves
be reluctant to seek or accept independence, for fear
that their aid receipts may fall; there are others which are so poor or which have such limited resources that it would not be right for us to seek to introduce constitutional change leading to independence before we had built up an acceptable minimum social and economic infrastructure. In all such cases a generous aid policy may be a necessary precondition for the promotion of ultimate independence. In those territories where the political advantage for HG or for the inhabitants lies in continuing dependence, or even in integration with
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10
RESTRICTED
}