TNAG-0714-FCO40-910-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 81

PS/Mr Rowlands

CONFIDENTIAL

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INDEX

No

- 9 MAR 1978

30. 51

PEGISTRY Action Taken

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Mr Cortazzi Mr Stratton Mr Hall Mr Posnett Mr Crowe

Planning Staff

Heads of: M&C D PDTD HK&G D

News Dept

CCD

45

BRITAIN'S OTHER FOREIGN POLICY

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1.

1. I was fascinated by the Minister's notes and wish I could have heard 'the presentation. In the various comments which have

been made since I think there may be confusion of two separate exercises. These are:

a) analysis and presentation;

b) policy and solutions.

We must be clear what we are aiming at.

2. Analysis and presentation are important, not only to get our own thinking right but to tap informed and interested opinion (the Fabian Colonial Bureau was often a troublesome gadfly but it was part of the Colonial Office's thinking machine and we could do with a bit of external prodding at times), to promote understanding of the problems we face and support for what we do.

It

3. I am not sure whether this is best done by articles in a serious journal, by an address to a chosen audience or by debate in the House. The Colonial debate was notoriously ill-attended even when we still had most of tropical Africa in our control. is for political judgement whether the good that might result from a debate would make it worth the risk of providing a sounding board for the country lobbies that have special cases to argue. I think Mr Stratton's point in paragraph 3 of his minute of 22 February is very relevant, Although the idea of open discussion of these issues is a good one in principle, it could give rise to misunderstanding of the British Government's policies and provide an opportunity for oppositions and pressure groups to confuse the issues for their own political ends. If the presentation is done right it is part of the answer but not the answer itself.

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4. The more difficult aspect of this is to devise solutions. WIAD is writing a paper which takes a fresh look at the 1975 de- colonisation despatch. It has no snappy solutions but puts much more stress on methods: the political education of a reluctant dependency (this might be given impetus by a carefully planned visit by a personal emissary of the Secretary of State), the creation of the right infrastructure, more investment to promote economic viability and better management in both public and private sectors.

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