(3002) Dmd. 145244 400M 10/73 L.Ltd. 839/1
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CONTIDEN JA
DRAFT DOPC MEMORANDUM
To:-
Type 1 +
FROM
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
х
CABINET
DEFENCE AND OVERSEA POLICY COMMITTEE
REVIEW OF THE FUTURE OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
Joint Memorandum by the Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Minister
of Overseas Development.
1. The attached Review was completed in November
1973, but could not be submitted to the DOPC before
the General Election. It examines the costs and
benefits to Her Majesty's Government of administering
((now 5, as Grenade in indepent recir) the remaining 18 dependencies and 6 Associated Stateq.
It concludes that, except in the case of Hong Kong, British Antarctic Tuntay, Fricial_Islands Dependaniras Brities Indian Ocean Territorie
and St Helena | Ascensim (ṣland,
m oun ruis which, it is in HI G's
continuing interest to retain as dependencies, we
should now adopt a conscious policy of accelerated
decolonisation.
There is not much to choose
between the quantifiable costs of such a policy
and those of continued dependence. The choice is
essentially political, though obviously we cannot
ignore its financial implications.
POLITICAL CONCLUSIONS
2. We agree with this conclusion, and with the
recommendation that is implementation must be
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