TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 197

DLAFT: minute/letter, elever despatch/note

TYPE: Draft/Fina! 1+

MR LUCE

FROM:

Reference

DEPARTMENT:

TEL. NO:

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

SIR BERNARD BRAINE, DL, MP.,

Your Reference

Top Secret

Secret

HOUSE OF COMMONS

WOON SWIA CIA.

Copies to:

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

SUBJECT:

..In Confidence

1. In my letter of

15 January

CAVEAT.......

3

h

I promiseo

that I would write again with our more considered

reactions to the ideas set out in your letter of

{

28 December on a possible Commonwealth Seminar.

Enclosures-flag(s)..

2.

Of the three agenda items you suggest, by far

the most important is in my view the first, the

future relationship with the independent sovereign

members of the Commonwealth. It is obviously a very

broad topic in what will probably prove an

absorbing and very time-consuming area of the Seminar's

deliberations. It seems to me to presuppose two

questions: how might the Commonwealth develop in

coming years? and what will be Britain's role and

relations vis à vis this developing Commonwealth?

If you agree so far, I would suggest you divide the

agenda under those two headings (say, a) the Future of

the Commonwealth and b) Britain's Role) and fit in

your two remaining topics the future relationshi

IN CONFIDENCE

-

/vit!