CONFIDENTIAL
5.
6.
The other more important items of our discussion were:-
(a) Police and internal security
There was still the familiar problem of local governments' unwillingness to vote adequate funds for this. Our leverage is small, especially in territories not in receipt of budgetary aid. The possibility of the proposed UK-based trainers at the Barbados Regional Police Training College being able to supervise the training of police in dependencies was almost certainly impractical. solution might be in giving Ministers responsibility for police equipment (as in Belize).
(b) Civil Service Salary revisions
The
There was reluctant acquiescence in the Whitehall doctrine that salary revisions should not qualify for budgetary aid but be met wholly from new revenue.
(c) Drug trafficking
This is becoming a serious problem in Belize, Caymans and Turks and Caicos. Close cooperation with the US Authorities was thought essential. Although there was scope for friction in Belize between the Governor and the US Drug Enforcement Agency, something should come out of the proposed US Conference on drug abuse, for which Governors would welcome invitations for their Governments.
(d) Capital and Corporal Punishment
We recognised the difficult constitutional position Governors were in. It was recommended that, if found acceptable to Ministers, local Governments should be asked to abolish capital punishment for a trial period.
Other minor natters included policy on setting up tax havens, encouragement of private investment (a useful paper from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation), posting of development officers, corruption in relation to aid and regional audit. Finally, Mr Arthur gave a scintillating review of progress made by the Associated States in 1978 towards independence and the SLO, Port of Spain reported on internal security in the regional as he saw it.
7. These conferences are important, not least in their ability to keep Whitehall in close touch with the way things look on the ground: however fully local events are reported in correspondence, we can often get things wrong. In my view we should aim to have another in about 18 to 24 months' time.
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