TNAG-0289-FCO40-325-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 182

House of Lords Debate, 12 January 1971

Draft Sections of Speech for Lord Lothian on

Policy towards Dependent Territories

Introduction

Although the former colonial empire has now virtually ceased to

exist, Britain is left with colonial responsibilities all over the

world. There remain to-day eighteen dependent territories with a total population of only 5 million, of whom just over 4 million represent the population of a single territory, Hong Kong. The populations of the other 17 territories range from 189,000 (the largest) in the Bahamas, to a mere 80 (the smallest) on the island of Pitcairn. The majority of these territories comprise small scattered islands or groups of islands in the West Indies and in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

2. It would be misleading to assume that, because the total populations of the dependent territories which remain now account for less than half of one per cent of the populations of all our overseas dependencies in 1947, or because the territories themselves are small, the problems connected with their administration and development are therefore easier to solve. The contrary is the case. The diversity of their economic, social and political problems is unfortunately as great as that encountered. in guiding the larger former colonial territories to their present independent status. In some cases the difficulties are accentuated by

the smallness of the territories concerned.

3. The following examples serve to illustrate the diversity and complexity of the problems confronting the dependent territories. Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands are the subject of historic disputes with their neighbours, Spain and Argentina. In the New Hebrides we have a condominium with France. There is over-population in the Seychelles accompanied by a high birth rate which slows the pace of economic and

In the social development in a territory short of natural resources. Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, with a total land area of only

383 square miles, scattered over 2 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, difficulties of communication inhibit the development of central administrative machinery and hence any rapid improvement in economic and social conditions. The situation is further complicated by the fact

/that