חי
Mr Day mentioned in March but that this depended on the meeting. that the UN Secretary General's report referred to independence
Mr Molapo said that SWAPO for Namibia before the end of 1981. had caused no trouble and everybody knew who had caused the dif-
ficulties. Mr Anyaoku (one of the two Commonwealth Deputy Secretaries General) said that there could be difficulties over the composition of the negotiating parties. Dr Waldheim's report had implied that the negotiations would be carried out between South Africa and whoever they brought on the one hand and SWAPO on the other, but Mr Pik Botha had subsequently announced that South Africa would be present at the negotiations only in an advisory capacity. The LPS hoped that Mr Botha's announcement had been designed for internal consumption but it did imply that South Africa would be interlocuters. There were ambiguities, but the fundamental point was the holding of a conference under UN auspices.
In response
to a question from the High Commissioner for Grenada the LPS said that the cont act group had done some extremely useful work since 1977 in, for example, pointing out to South Africa the dangers of non- cooperation.
6.
The High Commissioner for Jamaica asked about the Sus law and the nature of its replacement. The IPS said that the latter should give rise to no concern, and Mr Blaker added that the aim of the new legislation was to get rid of those aspects of the Sus' law which were exceptionable. Mr Peart then asked about the Nationality Act.
The LPS There were some aspects of it which were causing concern. said that the new law would be framed to provide a distinctive citiz- enship on which UK immigration law could be based, that the position. of Commonwealth citizens under it would not be affected and that there was nothing in the White Paper on Nationality Law which need disturb
Mr Adams Britain's friends in Commonwealth or in foreign countries. added that no category of person in the Commonwealth would have his status undermined or changed. Mr Peart said that he had received enquiries from a num ber of Jamaican citizens who had come to Britain with British passports since the last war and were concerned lest
Mr Adams the new legislation should invalidate their passports. explained that those who had been living here would face no problems. The High Commissioner for Guyana reiterated the fears which a number of his nationals had expressed to him. Mr Adams referred him to
The LPS paragraphs 21 - 22 of the preamble to the White Paper. commented that the fears expressed to Dr Grant were not justified.
7. Mr Peart then asked about the recent increase in students fees. He did not see how this made commercial sense. Mr Blaker explained that the decision to charge full cost fees to overseas students had been taken with reluctance. It was part of the Government's overall policy to cut public expenditure. The aim had been to withdraw the pre- existing subsidy of £90 m. pa. There were schemes to alleviate
The Government had the effects on some categories of student. initiated a study of the overall effects of the increase of fees, but little could be done until the figures for next year's intake were known. The High Commissioner for Barbados pointed to the difficulties of interpreting one year's statistics; a number of students would have enrolled in British universities this year despite the increase in fees because they could not at short notice find cheaper places elsewhere. The High Commissioner for Cyprus doubted that the figures would give a clear picture.
COMMONWEALTH COORDINATION DEPARTMENT
DECEMBER 1980