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CONFIDENTIAL
1. OUTLOOK FOR THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
The Committee considered a memorandum by the Minister of State
for Commonwealth Affairs (OPD(67) 11) on the outlook for the dependent
territories.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (MRS. HART) said
that the purpose of the paper was to keep the Committee informed of
recent changes in the position of the dependent territories and to
outline developments and problems likely to occur in the months ahead.
The remaining dependent territories fell into different groups: the
Associated States in the Eastern Caribbean; the remaining four
territories for which it had been decided that independence was the
right aim, namely Mauritius, Swaziland, British Honduras and Brunei;
a number of territories with special problems such as Hong Kong; and
the remaining dependencies for certain of which we must accept that for
some long time to come we must be wholly responsible. As regards the
Associated States, a resolution in extreme terms had now been tabled
in the Committee of Twenty-four at the United Nations, though our position
would to some extent be eased thereby in that it would be easier for us to
reject it than more moderate opposition. A particularly difficult problem
arose from the rundown of United Kingdom staff in the remaining territories,
particularly in the Western Pacific, which if continued might even lead to
a breakdown in the administration. The Commonwealth Office and Ministry
of Overseas Development were examining ways of meeting this problem, but
it must be accepted that it would involve additional expenditure. The Com- mittee would wish to note that by the early 1970s, after the process of
granting independence or associated status had gone as far as could be contem-
plated, a number of territories would still remain wholly dependent on us.
For these we must fully accept our responsibilities and must not bow to
further decolonisation "sloganising" from the Committee of Twenty-four.
In discussion general agreement was expressed with the conclusions of OPD(67) 11. The following points were made
(a) It was suggested that further consideration should be given to the
possibility of developing democratic local government institutions in
Hong Kong; possible measures were already under consideration following
the recent issue of a report by a committee set up by the Governor of
Hong Kong. It was however pointed out that the position of the colony in
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