CONFIDENTIAL
2
21. There are other examples in the British Isles of what might be called 'integrative' relationships. Jersey (population 65,000) and Guernsey (population 45,000) are also to a great extent autonomous. They are not represented in the House of Commons, but the Channel
Islanders have common citizenship and equal rights with U.K. 'belongers' including of course the right of free entry. Their economy is not integrated with our own though one or two U.K. Government departments function by agreement in the Channel Islands. Each island has its own legislature, executive and civil service Lut the laws passed by the island legislatures are subject to the approval of a British authority (a Privy Council Committee). The islands have no written constitutions and a number of important points about their relationship with Britain have never been put
to the test. There is no clear demarcation between matters which
nay be the subject of U.K. legislation and matters which would be
left to the local legislatures; and it is not clear what would
happen in the event of an inconsistency between local legislation and an Act of Parliament, or whether an attempt by the Westminster
Parliament to amend the constitutions of the islands would be
justifiable. A recent report (nade by Lord Taylor who as Under
Secretary for the Colonies visited the Channel Islands with the Colonial Office Legal Adviser in 1955) concluded that "anything like Channel Islands status would not be a step on the way to independence
or even towards free association. It would in fact be more like a
step towards integration........" (paragraph 27).
22. The constitution of the Isle of Man (population 48,000) is similar in many respects. But here the constituent power lies clearly with the Westminster Parliament and the British Government has rather nore direct and definite powers. Nevertheless the island has its own legislature, executive and judicature, a separate economy and complete finansial autonomy.
23.
Almost the only constitutional feature common to the existing 'integration' relationships is that citizens of the 'junior' territory have in each case equal rights with citizens of the netropolitan territory, including free entry. Apart from the Channel
Islands and the Isle of Man the people of the smaller territories are
all represented in the netropolitan legislatures, and the metropolitan governments and legislatures have and exercise extensive powers
in the territories. But none of these features is distinctive of
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