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Mr. Higham
L
Publicity for Colonial Affairs
United Nations and Parliament
Towards the end of March a Member of Parlia- ment - Mr. B. G. Irvine (U) Rye criticised the fact that information about an impending constitutional conference had been given to the U.N. Committee of 24 some time before it had been given to Parliament. (The first publicity was in fact given in the Colony concerned during the summer recess, which explains why no statement was made in Parliament at the time.)
2. I attach a copy of a letter which the Secretary of State wrote to Mr. Irvine after looking into the matter. We must clearly try so far as possible to avoid making statements of policy in the United Nations on Colonial affairs before the same infomation has been given out through our own constitutional channels. This may not always be easy to organise eg. when responding to an urgent request from the Delegation in New York for "ammunition" to enable them to deal with a current debate in the United Nations. Nevertheless, it may sometimes be possible to arrange a P.Q. so as to cut in ahead of a statement in the United Nations. I do not think it is possible to lay down hard and fast rules in advance to meet every contingency. We must be guided by the general line which the Secretary of State has enunciated in his letter to Mr. Irvine. Whatever importance we may be compelled to attach to the se activities of the United Nations it is, (as the Secretary of State himself has made clear in his letter to Mr. Godman Irvine) to Parliament and not to the United Nations that we are accountable for a Colonial policy.
I am addressing this minute to Heads of Department and sending copies to Sir John Martin and Assistant Under-Secretaries of State.'
A. H. POYNTON.
27th May, 1964.
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