16
Page 197
233
productive development in Malta and hence in increasing local taxable capacity. It is important that care should be taken that increases in social expendituredenqtg8nhgad of Malta's ability to purport gig in fthe longer term, from her own resources. The new schemes referred to in Appendix E will throw a burden on Maltese resources and, therefore, will have to be introduced gradually.
60. Assistance from the United Kingdom Treasury will necessarily be subject to control by the Parliament at Westminster. The form of that control is a matter which should be settled between the two Governments. There should be, at the outset, a clear understanding about the maximum amount of assistance which could be given annually by the United Kingdom Exchequer over a period of years. This would assist the Maltese Government in drawing up its annual budget and would reduce the possibilities of friction in the annual examination of Malta's requests for assistance towards meeting recurrent costs.
CC
61. It is universally agreed that the task of raising the Maltese standard of living will be a long and arduous one, involving a bold and sustained effort by the Maltese Government and people, with financial and other assistance from Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. A series of development plans. designed to raise productivity and expand national income, will have to be carefully planned and carried out. In this connection, we emphasise the words agreed by all the representatives at the June talks that the degree of success attained will depend on the hard work and self-discipline of the Maltese people, and on the Maltese Government and people making the best possible contribution from their own resources. Without continued support from the United Kingdom, further development, even along modest lines, would be virtually impossible. We are confident that, in this task of economic development and progress, the Maltese people can count upon continued and whole-hearted co-operation and assistance from the Government and people of the United Kingdom.
B.-CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
62. We have sought to set out, as objectively as possible, the constitutional aspects of the situation prevailing in Malta which bear directly upon our task. We come now to our conclusions and recommendations on these matters. We have not regarded it as our duty to seek either to describe an ideal constitution for Malta or to arbitrate between the aspirations of the different Maltese parties. Our primary task has been to decide how far the proposals for closer association, and, in particular, those put forward by the Maltese Government, are consonant with the interests and requirements of both the United Kingdom and Malta, and with the responsibilities of the Imperial Parliament.
63. The Prime Minister of Malta has made it clear to us that, in his opinion, representation at Westminster is the crucial issue and the one which will determine the direction of Malta's future political evolution. This issue. of representation is also at the origin of the appointment of this Round Table · Conference. We therefore consider it first.
64. In the special circumstances of the Islands, we cannot foresee a time when Malta could achieve complete independence. There can, therefore, be no question of the Parliament at Westminster abandoning the authority which is now vested in it. At the same time, we record our conviction that the discretion which Parliament has shown, in exercising its authority during the