TNAG-0714-FCO40-910-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 41

that no one except Salisbury had suggested a plebiscite and, further,

that his assertion that HMG had done its best to ascertain the wishes

of the "eligolanders was contrary to two Government statements in the Commons (which was in fact correct). Lord Granville further attacked

the Govt's prevarication in this respect, pointed out that it constant- ly refused to say how it had consulted the inhabitants' wishes and

added that whilst the Govt declared that the islanders were satisfied

with the transfer, the fact was that they had no organs by which to make representations against it. (This was not entirely true as they

had an executive council though it was only consultative, but it is also true that there is no evidence that it was in any way consulted].

Granville gave notice that he would raise the question again in the

debate on the Bill. It seems clear that the Govt hoped to get over

this difficulty in the debate by emphasizing the advantages of the

Bill as a whole in the debate).

As the rumoured date of the signature of the Agreement got nearer

(1st July) the Pas on the question of consultation became more urgent,

[the Govt would not disclose the date of signature on the grounds, then still accepted, that foreign policy was the province of the Executive).

One P (1st July) explicitly asked whether the Govt, before agreeing

to the cession, had received any resolution from the executive council

of Heligoland; what steps it had taken to consult their wishes, had

HMG considered the recent press reports of Heligoland opposition, and

in light of them would they reconsider sending a Special Commissioner

to ascertain their wishes. The First Lord of the Treasury (Smith)

replied that it had already been stated that no reference was made to

the inhabitants on the cession and that "it would be no matter for

surprise if they regretted parting with a sovereignty under which they

has so long lived"; but, whilst the utmost care had been taken ka in

the Agreement to secure the continuance of the Islanders' privileges,

"it cannot be regarded as a hard thing to hand them over to a nation

to which they are allied in blood and language. He added "I believe

there is an Executive Council in the Island but no resolutions of the

kind referred to have been adopted". Asked whether any despatches

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had been received from the Governor stating his grounds for believing

the inhabitants to favour transfer, he replied that as the Governor

had been in england, communications on the matter had been personal.