ensure that the legislation is got right.
I don't think this would be too difficult to do and would certainly tidy things up a bit. It may seem at first sight not worth it in the twilight of Empire, but I have a feeling that we are in for a long mid-summer twilight, and if we are to continue to be an effective administering power for the next few years, perhaps even a decade, we ought to be thinking of consolidating our reserve powers into a form that can be understood and exercised. This is very much in line, I think, with our recent thinking on the need to retain both responsibility and power.
8. My suggestion is not without problems. In Hong Kong Col Regs are probably applicable as of yore and no problem exists there as in the Caribbean and elsewhere where their force has been eroded. I may be wrong, but I doubt if in fact Royal Instructions can be issued in respect of Montserrat to cover matters of inter- nal affairs which lie outside the Governor's responsibility. We would need to ask the Legal Advisers on this.
9. A possible alternative to my suggestion above, would be to completely update and streamline Col Regs and instead of issuing them for guidance of Governors, issue them as Royal Instructions for general application in all territories.
10.
I have not floated these ideas with the Legal Advisers.
Wah
DK H Dale
1 May 1979
West Indian and Atlantic Department