§ 44. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why he has decided to set up a special department to take charge of those Colonies which are strategic bases; and if he will make a statement on the administrative changes which he intends to make.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydA Press report in the sense of the first part of this Question was due to a misunderstanding. For some time up to September last one Assistant Under-Secretary of State in the Colonial Office was responsible for, among other places, the three Mediterranean Colonies, the Federation of Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore. In September, after the appointment of the Malta Round Table Conference, official responsibility for it and for the affairs of Malta was moved temporarily to another Assistant Under-Secretary. Through certain retirements and promotions the opportunity has now occurred to revert to the previous arrangement, and as from 1st July responsibility for all the territories mentioned will again be entrusted to one Assistant Under-Secretary, whose schedule will also include the Borneo Territories but not those in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
§ Mr. RankinWill the Secretary of State say whether it is the fact that those Colonies which are strategic bases are now passing into the virtual control of the Foreign Office, and that now we shall have two types of colonial policy, one dictated by the Colonial Office and one influenced by the Foreign Office?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAny such view would be completely false.