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44. On the other hand, the proposals of the Maltese Government
as
put forward or the ground that they truly met the realiceature, and we
of
falta's uni situation. In particular, they argued that their proposals recognised that independence was not an attainable aim, and that the Parliament at Westminster must retain for an indefinite period control over defence and foreign affairs, as well as over-riding powers in all fields. Their proposals were accordingly designed to give the Maltese people an opportunity of sharing at Westminster in Parliamentary discussion and decisions on these matters, thereby taking into account their legitimate political aspirations and making manifest the equality of their status and responsibilities with those of the British people.
45. While the Malta Nationalist Party held that representation at Westminster would not be in accordance with the will of the Maltese people and that it would not meet the aspirations of enlightened Maltese opinion for independent status, the Maltese Government maintained that for the Maltese people to express their will regarding representation at Westminster would be a real act of self-determination. The proposals of the Malta Nationalist Party, which in any event also recognised that the Parliament at Westminster would have to have the final say in defence and foreign affairs, would, they argued, result in greater, not less, friction between the two Govern- ments and peoples and would not create the right climate for co-operation on economic development.
46. The Maltese Government maintained that their proposals for the division of legislative powers between the Parliament at Westminster and the Maltese Parliament, and the assurances they had given on religious questions (see paragraph 40 above), disposed finally of any Maltese fears. They argued that, on the contrary, the presence of Maltese representatives in the Parliament at Westminster, able to draw attention to the interests and faith of the Maltese people, would constitute an added protection which did not exist at present.
47. Finally, the Maltese Government maintained that their proposals clearly represented the will of the Maltese people, since they were put forward by representatives of the Maltese people freely elected by a majority of votes at a recent General Election. They intended, however, to dispose of any contention that they were imposing their solution on the Maltese people, by submitting the matter to a referendum at the appropriate time.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A.-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
48. The United Kingdom Service Departments consider that there is no near prospect of a decline in Malta's strategic importance or in the relative level of defence expenditure in Malta, although they pointed out to us that, if costs in Malta rise considerably more rapidly than in the United Kingdom, less work may be done there, especially in the dockyard. All witnesses were agreed that defence expenditure is likely to remain for the foreseeable future the essential basis on which the Maltese economy rests, and there was no disposition on the part of anyone we consulted to argue that this was contrary to Malta's own interests. We are, however, convinced of the need for a concerted drive to strengthen the rest of the Maltese economy as a precaution
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