HC Deb 04 November 1958 vol 594 cc752-3
14. Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any further statement to make on the future of Malta.

28. Mr. Wall

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what Maltese political parties will be represented at the forthcoming constitutional talks in London.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I have recently invited delegations representing the Malta Labour Party, the Malta Nationalist Party and the Progressive Constitutional Party to come to London on 17th November for talks on future constitutional arrangements for Malta. Until these talks have taken place, I cannot say anything new about Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to integration or any other constitutional course.

Mr. Rankin

In view of the statement made by Mr. Mintoff, which is published in The Times today, will the right hon. Gentleman now reaffirm the promise which he made in reply to Mr. Mintoff's letter of 10th October that the question of the dockyard transfer will appear on the agenda at the conference on 17th November?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

We have announced a decision about the transfer of the dockyard to Messrs. Bailey, and steps are being taken to carry that out. I am absolutely convinced that it is in the best interests of the continuing employment of the people of Malta. But Her Majesty's Government have no wish or desire to exclude economic discussions from the scope of the forthcoming talks.

Mr. Wall

Will the other Nationalist Party, the newly formed Democratic Nationalist Party, also be included in the talks?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

That needs consideration.

Mr. Callaghan

I want to follow up the question by my hon. Friend the Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin), because, as the Colonial Secretary knows, the dockyard is of overwhelming importance to the economy of Malta and it would be quite wrong in a conference of this sort if discussions about its future were excluded. If that were done, economic discussions would have no reality. Can the right hon. Gentleman therefore be more forthcoming and say that the question of its future and explanations of the use to which it is proposed that it shall be put, and other legitimate discussions. will take place at the conference?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I should certainly have incurred the censure of the House if we had delayed taking action about the dockyard until a constitutional conference assembled in November. Much progress has been made in what will be the surest guarantee of continuing employment of the people of Malta. We are, of course, ready to discuss the working out of this plan with representative leaders. May I say how helpful it would be if the trade union concerned in Malta wore now in continuous touch with Messrs. Bailey.