General Policy
V
CONFIDENTIAL
W15
HIND-
MEMORANDUM
Тлашк
POLICY TOWARDS THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
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The present British Government are fully committed to the policy followed by successive Governments since 1945 of giving every help and encouragement to those Dependent Territories which wish to
become independent, while not forcing independence on those which do
not want it. Wherever independence is feasible, we will seek to create the conditions which will make it a realistic and desirable objective. Where local governments have made it clear that they do not wish their territories to become independent, we are content to retain sovereignty for the time being. [But we must also retain the legal powers necessary to ensure that we are able to fulfil the responsibilities that sovereignty entails] Obviously some of the provisions set out below do not apply in those territories where Anternational political considerations rule out the possibility of
independence, or rule it out for the present. In these territories, wale: include in varying degrees and circumstances, Hong Kong, the
Palaland Islands and their Dependencies, Belize and Gibraltar, we will
Book the most suitable arrangements for the territories' administration.
Each case will be considered on its merits, bearing in mind the con-
traints imposed by external political circumstances and the wishes of the local population.
Powers to be retained by the British Government
Responsibility and power must go together. Political development must therefore stop some way short of full internal self-government
where territories choose to remain dependent. In such cases the
ritish Government, through the Governor, will retain overall respon- sibility for:-"
(i) external affairs;
(ii) defence;
(iii), internal security, including administration of the police;
(iv) the administration of the public service;
(v) the judiciary.
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