Draft reply to proposed written Parliamentary Question to be arranged
on Financial Devolution in Africa
51
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QUESTION:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any progress has been m. du on the question of devolution of authority by the Secretary of State in financial matters which was discussed by the Conference of African Governors in November last year.
ANSWER:
Yes, Sir. I have recently addressed all African Governors on this subject. Stops ro being taken to socure a large measure of devolution in financial matters within the framework of my broad responsibility to Parliament.
The African Governors' Conference recommended that, while the Secretary of State's general authority over the broad financial policies of the African Governments must be retained, the Colonial Office should, there assistance from United Kingdom funds is not involved, concern itself with financial detail only to the extent necessary to secure the Secretary of Stato's intcrest in the major issucs of policy, such as measures against inflation, fiscal policy, exchange and currency control, development finance and loan policy. The conclusion was reached that in the Tropical African Territories for which the Colonial Office is responsible the Secret ry of State's interest in these major issues could most effectively be secured by consultation and discussion botoen the Colonial Office and the Governments concerned, which should keep the Colonial Office fully informed of the financial situ.tion in their respective territories and should supply adv.nce information with regard to financial policy.
In ccordance with those principles formal control over the finances of the Tropical African Territories whose finances are not under the control of His Majesty's Treasury (the only territory concerned in receipt of a grunt-in-did is British Somaliland) will in future be excrcised only through the Secretary of State's function of advising His Majesty on the assent to the Appropriation and Supplementary Appropriation Ordinances and other
Other types of logislation of a financial character. formul control will be dispensed with cxcept where payments by the United Kingdom Government are involved, as for inst nee under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act. Estimates and Supplementary estimates will not requiro tho Secretary of State's approval.
the abandonment or remission of clims and the writing-off of assets will equally not require the Secretary of State's approval, and other requirements of form 1 reference to the Secretary of State in financial matters laid down in the
At the samo Colonial Regulations will be disponsod with. time arrangements are being made for maintaining close contact between Governments and the Colonial Office in matters of financial policy by means of correspondonce and personal discussion during visits of Colonial officials to this country and members of the Colonial Office staff to Colonial Territories.
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