TNAG-0429-FCO40-494-Programme-Analysis-and-Review-(PAR)-Future-of-Dependent-Terr-1974 — Page 52

J

CONFIDENTIAL

period. It could if necessary be spelled out in a financial agreement which might also require the territory to accept a British financial adviser and provide him with the information he would require. On this basis it should be possible for him to

keep the local government in touch with financial realities and provide us with adequate information of the territory's financial position and problems. The agreement would also require the territory to employ auditors approved by us. External financial

transactions would in any case be covered by our external affairs

powers.

(iii) Internal security. To assume direct responsibility for internal security in an otherwise autonomous territory would be to give the local leaders a licence to misgovern. Externally inspired subversion apart, most threats to internal security arise from failures of judgement on the part of the government concerned. To prevent them, or to deal with then when they arose, we should need powers of intervention right across the board. It would be

better from cur om point of view as well as from that of the territorial government that they should have undivided responsibility for law and order but should be able in extremity to call on us

for assistance, The fact is that until a territory can stand on

its own to this extent the introduction of any form of 'post- colonial' status is a hollow pretence.

(iv) Staff. There is no case for Britain to retain control of

public service matters in an autonomous territory. In some cases we have special obligations to individual nerbers of the local civil service and it may be necessary to take special measures to

safeguard their interests when a transfer of power comes. But

an attempt to retain direct control of the public service would be

construed, with justification, as evidence of mistrust, and could only lead to conflict. It will of course be necessary to safeguard the position of any staff provided by us through an appropriate

agreement. 16.

A major difficulty in setting up autononous administrations in

very small territories will, none the less, be the weakness and

inexperience of the administrative material available

not only

in the public service but anong elected politicians. One way to offset this would be to provide an experienced British officer in a

general advisory capacity. In very small territorios it might be

منكم

CONFIDENTIAL

/necessary