TNAG-0832-FCO40-1040-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1979 — Page 45

CONFIDENTIAL

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be economically self-sufficient.

But it is now accepted that

economic self-sufficiency need not be a prerequisite of

political independence: it is now quite common for small, poor

territories to remain dependent on foreign aid long after they

have become independent. The general consensus of those con-

sulted is that our policy now should be, wherever possible, to

try to create a political and economic structure that will make

independence a realistic proposition, even though the local

population may not want to move to independence in the immediate

future.

6. On the third point, it is impossible to give precise

guidance.

A number of alternatives to full, separate independence

have been considered in the past, and some of them have been put

into effect either by ourselves or by other former colonial powers.

In practice, none of them has been demonstrated to have obvious

advantages over continuing colonial status or full independence.

But nevertheless we should not rule out the possibility, of

alternative solutions if that proves to be what the inhabitants

of a particular territory want, and if the circumstances of a

particular proposal are acceptable to us. There is however a

firm belief that the type of Associated State created by the

1967 West Indies Act has proved to have more disadvantages than

advantages; the creation of any further Associated States on

that pattern should therefore be ruled out.

7

I have considered whether it would have been more appropriate

to delay the submission of this despatch until after the seminar

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