HC Deb 09 March 1955 vol 538 cc423-4
11. Mr. John Hall

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether a meeting has yet taken place between the Prime Minister of the Gold Coast and representatives of the Asanteman Council and the National Liberation Movement; and what agreement has been reached.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

No, Sir. The position is still as given in my statement of 16th February. I take this opportunity to correct an error in the statement which was circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. In the last sentence but one I said that Dr. Nkrumah was writing to the Ashanti leaders noting that the different views expressed were irreconcilable. Dr. Nkrumah, in fact, wrote "not irreconcilable." I greatly regret this error, which arose from a mistake in the transmission of a telegram.

Mr. Hall

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that the continuation of this dispute is causing serious harm to the continued orderly development of democratic Government in the Gold Coast, and would he use his good offices as best he can to try to influence a settlement? Would he not also agree that one of the reasons for this dispute probably arises from the lack of any real opposition party to the present Government?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I should certainly welcome a solution of this problem in a peaceful and constitutional manner, and I am inclined to think that it would be well if I confined my observations at this stage to that comment.