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It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to explain
that any constitutional changes adopted in light
of a decision to move to independence wouldrequire
to be reviewed in the event that, perhaps owing to
a change of government following a general election
or through some other cause, the timetable for
advance to independence were to be seriously delayed
or indeed if the decision itself were to be
reversed. This might entail the resumption by the
Governor of some or all of the powers mentioned
in the preceeding paragraph7, I would not wish there
to be any misunderstanding about this Buthor,
on the other hand, do I wish to set any rigid time
limits within which a territory must move to
independence if it is to benefit from constitutional
advance. Such time limits have not always proved
helpful in the past and I should prefer that each
case be treated on its merits in the light of all
the circumstances.
Aid forms an important element of our overall
policy towards dependent territories whose reasonable
needs are a first call on our aid programme.
The primary object of this programme will be so to
increase the productive capacity of territories
as to promote their ability to rely upon their own
resources in future; although I recognise that
in some territories the possibility of full economic
independence is remote. The British Government has
also to take account of its responsibility to
Parliament and to the United Nations mentioned in
paragraph 7 above: it may be that to apply too
harshly the strict economic criteria for aid in
- in which
Country
/certain