CONFIDENTIAL
continuing foothold in the Pacific and could have a potential for future developments in communications, and space tracking.
Moreover, retention of Pitcairn is theoretically essential to our continued participation in the activities of the South Pacific
Commission (an economic and social body interested in promoting the stability of small states of the South Pacific region). The 1973 review proposed that one Pacific Island should be retained though
the Gilbert and Ellice Island Colony was then an option.
In theory,
abandonment could be considered as an option for the Caribbean
territories leaving the inhabitants in situ (but not for Bermuda
because of its strategic importance), but other options such as
federation or integration are, perhaps more relevant. Abandonment
is not an option for St Helena, Ascension and BIOT, because of UK
defence and communications interests. It has recently been
considered by Ministers and discarded as a policy option for BAT and
South Georgia and South Sandwich (where maintenance of the status
quo is favoured.) Tristan da Cunha is financially self-supporting
and could be a candidate for abandonment if it was not considered
essential to retain the present administrative unity of St Helena
and St Helena Dependencies. Maintenance of the status quo in
Tristan da Cunha would cause difficulties if comprehensive sanctions were imposed against South Africa. Under an agreement (which expires in 1993) South Africa maintains a weather station and
wireless telegraph on Gough Island and in return its relief ship
visits Tristan da Cunha as well as Gough Island.
14. Federation or Association with a regional grouping : Where territories are small, weak and/or poor with minimal prospects of sustaining independence as separate entities, admission into a wider (federal or regional) grouping of independent States may be a viable option. The process could be assisted by the offer of bilateral or regional aid and/or by giving a consultative treaty arrangement to
the Federation grouping as a whole. The costs would be comparable with the separate independence option. HMG's historical experience of federations of non-independent states has not been good: the West
Indies Federation formed in 1958 was due to became independent in
CONFIDENTIAL
12
-