of 587
61. Thirdly, we have realised that, in order to ensure that the federal Government should not be dependent on the territorial Governments or Legis- latures, it should have complete financial autonomy.
62. Fourthly, we have borne in mind that one of the major arguments in favour of closer association lies in the benefits that would be derived from greater co-operation in the economic field.
63. Fifthly, we have avoided recommending unification merely for the sake of unification, recognising that some services by their nature are more suitable for local or regional administration.
64. The services and functions which we recommend should become a federal responsibility are given in Annex V. All services and functions not specified as federal would remain territorial, and it would not therefore be appropriate to specify particular territorial services or functions in the constitu- tion. The following outline of the main division of functions is given solely for illustrative purposes, the items listed as territorial being some of the more important residual services and functions.
Federal
External affairs.
Defence.
Immigration.
Economic Planning and Develop-
ment.
External and certain aspects of
inter-territorial Trade.
Income tax (federal).
Customs.
Census and Statistics.
Railways.
Civil Aviation.
Trunk Roads.
Electricity Supply and Distribution. Posts and Telecommunications. Broadcasting, Films and Tourism. European Education (primary and
secondary).
Higher Education.
Medium and long-term Research. Surveys (other than Cadastral). Major water development. National Parks.
Territorial
Provincial and Native Administration. Income tax (territorial).
Agriculture.
Forestry.
Veterinary Services.
Game.
Fisheries.
Co-operation.
Marketing.
Health.
African Education (primary and
secondary).
Labour.
Mines.
Local Government.
Police.
Prisons.
Public Works (territorial).
Roads (other than trunk roads).
Irrigation (except major development).
65. A possible grouping of federal functions and services into divisions each of which might comprise a Ministerial portfolio is given in Annex VI.
Functions of the Federal Government
66. The main services and functions which we recommend should be federal are discussed in the following paragraphs. A fuller account of the federal Government's economic functions is given in Annex IV.
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External Affairs
67. A necessary element in a federal scheme is the surrender to the central authority 30 dhe foggers of the federating units in regard to eternal affairs. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are responsible in the international field for the affairs of all three Central African territories, but certain international negotiations are conducted by Southern Rhodesia on her own behalf, particularly in the commercial sphere, and in relations with Commonwealth Countries and, in local matters, with neighbouring foreign territories. We assume that in the control of the external relations of British Central Africa the federal Government would have powers similar to those of Southern Rhodesia.
Defence
68. We recommend that the federal Government should be responsible for the military and air forces and establishments that are now the liability of the three territories.
Customs
69. We recommend that responsibility for customs and tariff matters . should lie with the federal Government and that a customs union should be established. Practical difficulties will arise owing to the different tariff systems of the three territories, the relation of these systems to the territories' fiscal structures and industrial needs, and to the fact that part of Northern Rhodesia and the whole of Nyasaland lie within the conventional zone of the Congo Basin Treaties, within which discriminatory tariffs are not permitted. We believe that these difficulties can be overcome, but before a customs union can be achieved it will be necessary for all the questions involved to be dealt with in detail by a committee representative of the three territories.
70. We consider that it will be necessary to form a Tariff Advisory Committee, representative of the three territorial Governments and the federal Government, to make recommendations on tariff matters.
External Trade
71.
The federal Government should be responsible for export, import and exchange control, exports promotion, and the negotiation of trade treaties.
Inter-territorial Trade and Commerce
72. We recommend that the federal Government should be given execu- tive responsibility for regulating the inter-territorial (but not the territorial) movement and distribution of locally produced or imported commodities which are in short supply. We also recommend that the federal Government should be given responsibility for legislation and executive action regarding com- panies,(4) insurance, banks (including land banks), bankruptcy, currency, patents, trade marks and designs.
Development Commission and Central Planning Staff
73. In paragraph 53 we have recommended that the planning of develop- ment for British Central Africa as a whole should be co-ordinated by a Development Commission representative of the federal and territorial Govern- ments, working with a Central Planning Staff which would form part of the appropriate federal Ministry. The functions of the Development Commission
(*) This means the registration and administration of companies. It is not intended to alter the locus of companies for income tax and similar purposes.