HKG.025/1
Registry
DSR 11
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Seere
Secret
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
5.Am. Dent-
For dearance,
please.
G.D.
DRAFT LETTER
To:-
S M Preston Esq
StephenxPresto
Mayfield
Clareston Road
Tenby,
Pembrokeshire
Type 1 +
From
Mr. Bridgwood.
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
HK&GD
On behalf of the Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs I write in reply to
your letter of 31 January 1980 concerning the policy
of Her Majesty's Government over the future of the
remaining British Dependencies.
Since 1945, when the UN Charter formally
acknowledged the principle of self-determination for
golonial peoples, successive British Governments have
given every help and encouragement to Dependent Territories
wishing to become independent. To this end we are
committed to the creation of competent political and
economic institutions in our dependencies. At the same time,
it has been a consistent part of our policy that,
in accordance with the Charter's acknowledgement (Article 73)
"the interests of the inhabitants of these territories
are paramount", no territory should be forced into
independence against the will of its population. This
policy has been particularly emphasised in the case of
the four territories you mentioned in your letter which all have delicate political problems involving neighbouring
countries, and HM Government have
Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell
/repeatedly given