§ 33. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will give an assurance that 1129 Her Majesty's Government do not recognize the right of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland to declare itself an independent State; and if he will pledge the Government now to make no concession of this sort in the 1960 negotiations.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (Mr. C. J. M. Alport)No provision exists in the constitution for the Federation or for any one of its component parts to declare itself independent. The pledges which the United Kingdom has given with regard to the future constitutional development of the Federation are set out in the preamble to the constitution in the Annex to Statutory Instrument 1199 of 1953.
§ Mr. StonehouseWhile thanking the Under-Secretary of State for that assurance, may I ask whether any representations have been made to the Federal Prime Minister following his statement in the last week or so to the effect that in certain circumstances he would be prepared to " go it alone " and to declare the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland an independent State? Will he give an undertaking that on no account will the Federation be allowed to become independent until the majority of the inhabitants of that part of the territories for which this Parliament is responsible have an opportunity of stating their views about it?
§ Mr. AlportI have referred to the pledges which have been given in the Preamble to the Constitution and which set out in carefully drafted words the point which I think the hon. Member was attempting to make in the last part of his supplementary question. Replying to the first part of his supplementary question, it does not seem appropriate at the present time that any point should be made about any statement made in Southern Rhodesia.
§ Mr. WallIs it not true that the pledges referred to have been reaffirmed on numerous occasions by Ministers in the House, and is it not equally true that no relevant considerations will be omitted from the 1960 constitutional discussions?
§ Mr. AlportPerfectly true.