TNAG-0715-FCO40-911-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-4 — Page 105

CODE 18-17

63

Reference

Mr Quantrill Clarke

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Candy 12 Over to you,

DECOLONISATION

See (68

HKG. 025/2

RECA

-

- 4 SEP 1978

DESK OR.

INDEX

No

0.5% 5:

1. The meeting foreshadowed in Mr Stratton's minute of 9 August duly took place yesterday afternoon. It was agreed that the main requirement was to draft a revised version of the 1975 despatch.

2.

I suggested that the exercise should be taken in two stages:-

(a)

66

A paper which would describe the course of events since the policy of "accelerated decolonisation" was adopted in 1975; summarise the present situation in the various territories not yet independent; and identify the questions for decision.

(b) A despatch which would lay down guidelines for future policy.

The proposal won general acceptance; it was also agreed that the two papers would be linked in that (a) would be annexed to (b).

3. There was general agreement round the table that the new policy would have to be one of accepting that the "hard core" territories would not become indpendent for the foreseeable future. Certain consequences would flow from that decision; for example, it would be necessary to provide for standards of housing, education etc etc which were at least on a par with those in neighbouring terri- tories; and this would cost money (cf the ODM "social indicators" exercise).

4. There was also agreement that the policy paper would need t refer to some of the questions which have been or are the subject of recent study, including the UN problems.

5. I agreed that it would be appropriate for this Department to co-ordinate the preparation of these papers, while pointing out that much of the work would have to be done by others, notably WIAD. It was agreed that the aim should be to complete the papers, and have them approved by Ministers, by mid-December so that they can be despatched to Governors in time for the conference which is to take place in the Caribbean on 4/5 January.

6.

The first step is to draft a skeleton or framework for the first, largely descriptive, paper. I should be grateful if Mr Clarke would undertake this task, submitting the draft through you to me. The agreed version can then be sent to the other Departments concerned to flesh out the bones.

1 September 1978

fun

RJT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

/nb

CONFIDENTIAL

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