CONFIDENTIAL

e) I am not sure what you would wish to do about the part the Commonwealth Secretariat might play in the handling of external affairs. There are papers on this but so far our

experience in the Caribbean has been that our fledglings have been quite happy to make their own decisions on how they should handle external affairs and overseas representation;

f) St Helena as a parish council of the Isle of Wight is I think what may come to happen but I am not sure that we need go into this in any more detail than we already do in the draft. We

cannot incorporate at this stage in a public document any reference to integration with the

United Kingdom.

3. May I leave these thoughts and those of Sir Peter Ramsbotham in Mr Posnett's minute to Mr Stratton of 21 February with you now for, further cooking.

PED

PC Duff

West Indian and Atlantic Department

5 March 1979

2.

CONFIDENTIAL

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