A
CONFIDENTIAL
(WIS DOCUMENT
IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITAN
OPD (67) 11
2nd March, 1967.
CABINET
--
MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)
DEFENCE AND OVERSEA POLICY COMMITTEE
COPY NO.
16
THE OUTLOOK FOR THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
Memorandum by the Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs
The purpose of this paper is to review the recent
changes in the position of the dependent territories, and
to outline developments and problems likely to occur in the
months ahead. These territories are listed in the Annex.
2. The Associated States
Five territories in the Eastern Caribbean (Antigua,
St. Kitts, Dominica, Grenada and St. Lucia) have just entered
into Association with us, and a sixth, St. Vincent, will
follow at the end of May. Under the new constitutional
arrangements we shall remain responsible for their defence
and foreign affairs but they will have full control of their
their own internal affairs. They will be free to amend
constitutions and to move to independence if their people by
referendum choose to do so.
3. Our old colonial relationship with them is therefore at
an end. But there is inevitably some lack of definition in
their new relationships as regards external affairs. A
territory which becomes completely independent enters into
its own new relationships within the Commonwealth and with
the United Nations. But because we remain responsible for
their external affairs, this cannot be so for the Associated
States, although we are delegating to them as much as we can
in this field. Yet, on the other hand, we cannot in practice
/make
NTIAL