§ 37. Colonel Beamishasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to be able to complete his study of the report of the Willink Commission that has recently been studying minority problems in Nigeria; to what extent their investigations covered the British Cameroons; and what will be the constitutional procedure before adopting or rejecting any proposals for alteration in the present regional boundaries.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI have not yet received the report of the Minorities Commission, but I expect to do so within the next two months. The Commission held public sessions in the Southern Cameroons. The report will be considered at the resumed Constitutional Conference due to be held later this year.
§ Colonel BeamishMay I ask my right hon. Friend if he has any timetable in mind, in view of the fact that if there is to be any radical change in regional boundaries, this would have a very important effect on the federal elections, which cannot, presumably, be more than eighteen months hence?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI am very conscious of the timetable difficulties, and I hope that, at the first stage, anyhow, the report will be available in time for it to be properly considered before we have the resumed conference. I have that fact very much in mind.