HW 022/522/1
CONFIDENT IAL
Mr.Stanley
PS/Mr Rowlands
RECEIVED M REGISTRY No. 74
22 APR 1977
22
MKCG 025/3
~21/4
Heels
Lu Tarpor
cc Mr Cortazzi
UND 1
HK & GD
1864
COMMITTEE OF 24: MISSION TO THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
PROBLEM
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1. What to say to the UN Visiting Committee about constitutional advance in the Cayman Islands.
BACKGROUND
A
2.
B
C
In preparation for the forthcoming UN visit Mr.Dalton's letter to the Governor of 16 March raised the following questions:-
a) what were HMG's constitutional objectives in the Cayman Islands; and
4.
K
b) what would HMG like to see included in the Mission's mavr Report?
→3.
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Mr Russell's letter of 16 March recalled (our doubts about moving the Caymans to the next stagé along the traditional pattern of constitutional evolution, viz Ministerial government, when they were fairly opposed to the culmination of independence and suggested various points ́ which could be made to the Mission to illustrate HMG's willingness and Caymanian reluctance to consider constitutional development.
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4. It was decided in the department that UKMIS should be advised not to try to influence the UN Mission's thinking on independence before their visit to the Caymans and to leave them to form their own views. If however the Mission asked what HMG were doing to promote constitutional development UKMIS could draw defensively on the points in the Governor's letter. As the Governor was due to have lunch with members of the Mission in New York that day this line was conveyed to Mr Dalton by telephone. We asked UKMIS to avoid discussion of a move to Ministerial government, as our policy on this had not been decided. This has been confirmed by telegram.
ARGUMENT
J
5. We need to decide what we are to say on this when the Mission come to the FCO after their visit. Although the Mission are unlikely. to find any pressure in the Caymans for constitutional advance they are bound to note that the territory has a less advanced constitution
CONFIDENTIAL
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