HC Deb 06 March 1957 vol 566 cc330-2
4. Mr. Swingler

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how the United Kingdom delegate to the United Nations Trusteeship Council voted on the Soviet resolution proposing a time limit of three to five years for the achievement of independence by most Trust Territories; and what reasons were given for his vote.

The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Ian Harvey)

The United Kingdom Representative on the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly opposed a Soviet resolution which recommended a time limit for the attainment of independence or self-government of Trust Territories. The words "within three to five years" which appeared in the preamble and operative paragraph 1 of the Soviet draft resolution, were changed, on a proposal by Syria, to "in the near future" and "at an early date" respectively, before the Soviet resolution came to a vote. The wording of the resolution as it was adopted by the Fourth Committee is given on pages 11 and 12 of United Nations document A/3554.

With regard to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to page 3 of United Nations document A/C.4/SR.639, where there is a summary of what was said by the United Kingdom Representative. Briefly, the United Kingdom Representative said that it was impossible for an administering authority conscientiously to declare an estimate of the period of time required for the attainment of self-government.

Both the documents I have referred to are in the Library of the House.

Mr. Swingler

Did the United Kingdom Representative make clear what was the Government's policy on the achievement of independence? Is it not the Government's policy that the Trust Territories should achieve independence, and in those circumstances why was not their view put forward by the Government on the period of time in which that could be attained?

Mr. Harvey

I think that is a different question. This was a matter of accepting a firm time-table, and, as the United Kingdom Representative made quite clear, we could not conscientiously do that.

Mr. Russell

Would not my hon. Friend agree that the Colonial Office and the colonial administrations in the Trust Territories concerned are far better judges of when the time is likely to be ripe for independence than the whole of the United Nations, who do not know anything about it?

Mr. Harvey

Yes, Sir; I do.