TNAG-0832-FCO40-1040-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1979 — Page 48

Registry No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret,

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

DRAFT

DESPATCH

To:-

ALL OAGS

Sir

Type 1 +

From

DSR 41

37 / سلام

Secretary of State

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

POLICY TOWARDS THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1.

The Governors of the British Dependent Territories

in the Caribbean, at their conference in Bridgetown (in

January agreed that they would welcome a re-statement of

the British Government's policy towards the future of the

remaining Dependent Territories. The need for this arises

tom not so much (because of) any doubt about the basic policy

which successive British Governments have been) consistently

ed

dan

following since 1945, but rather because of uncertainty

that has grown in recent years about some of the implications

of this policy.

Specifically, there appear to be doubts

over how fast and how far constitutional development should

be allowed to proceed, particularly in territories which

have no wish to become independent or where independence

is ruled out, at least for the forseeable future, because of

international political complications; over the extent to

which HMG's policies should be directed towards the creation

of the conditions that would make independence possible even

where it is not contemplated; and over what alternatives, if

any, may be available to territories that, while reluctant

to remain simple colonies, believe that for them full

independence is not an option.

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell