CONFIDENTIAL
- 2 -
3. In certain territories, limited powers in some of these areas have already been delegated to local governments or given to local Public Service Commissions. It is not the intention to reverse
mto in precepdena - creams tigh will we now be prepared to age to those decisions, but no rurther delegations will be agreed in respect of these particular responsibilities. We will, however, be prepared Capito
to consider sympathetically any proposals that Governors may care to put forward for increasing the powers of local governments in other
any further
del gabion
areas.
4. Where a territory's government have announced their intention to move to independence, a programme will be agreed for the various stages of constitutional change. There can be no standard timetable for this: the pace will largely be dictated by local circumstances: Lut the period during which a territory government would exercise a great degree Constitutional In all cases, the Governor will retain until the last moment formal re Sopnsibility
responsibility for at least the first three of the matters listed in "in run- up to will not Normally, exceed 12 months
finlependem paragraph 2 above, though it will undoubtedly be appropriate for him
to
consult the local Premier increasingly about the way he exercises these responsibilities as independence approaches.
5. Any constitutional changes introduced as a result of a decision to move towards independence will, of course, need to be reviewed if that decision is subsequently reversed (for example as a result of a change of government in the territory concerned). This could entail the resumption of Governors of powers that had already been delegated in anticipation of independence.
BY
of
The Role of British Aid
6. The reasonable needs of the Dependent Territories will continue to be a first call on our aid programme. In deciding how aid resources should be used in the Dependent Territories, our principal
objective will be to create a political and economic climate that
will make independence a realistic and attractive alternative to
continuing colonial status. We recognise, however, that in some territories which lack natural resources the possibility of genuine economic independence is remote. In the past, a generous allocation of development aid (and in certain cases also budgetary aid) has often formed a vital ingredient in achieving a final independence agreement. The possibility of similar action will be borne in mind in future cases, subject to the overall constraints placed on the aid programme by the Government's general economic policies.
/Alternatives