§ 11. Miss Herbisonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, at the 1960 constitutional conference on Central Africa, he will arrange for discussion of, and seek a solution to, the difficulties encountered by United Kingdom citizens in moving to and from the territories of the Federation.
§ 16. Mr. Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, at the 1960 Constitutional Conference on Central Africa, he will arrange for discussion of, and seek a solution to, the difficulties encountered by United Kingdom citizens in moving to and from the territories of the Federation.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydFor the constitutional position I would refer the hon. Members to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) on 25th June. I should prefer not to start listing now particular items for discussion at the 1960 Constitutional Review Conference.
§ Miss HerbisonDoes not the Colonial Secretary agree that if Africans, in Nyasaland particularly, knew that the British Government wished this matter to be discussed when the Congress comes, it might do a little to get rid of the tensions about which we heard only yesterday? Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that with regard to the prohibited immigrant the Rev. Tom Colvin, both the Church of Scotland and the Rev. Tom Colvin himself have done everything possible to get the reasons, but no reasons are forthcoming? Surely the right hon. Gentleman can add something to the reply he has given.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI cannot add to the Answer which I have already given.
§ Mr. BrockwayIs not the right hon. Gentleman's Answer very humiliating from the point of view of the British Government and the British Parliament? Is it not the case that a Member of Parliament has been refused permission to go into a British Protectorate—[HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."]—and that a British missionary has not been allowed to return to a British Protectorate and that if this kind of thing were done in a Communist country the right hon. Gentleman would be among the first to protest against it?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Gentleman likes to have the luxury of getting it both ways. He is constantly pressing for the surrender of powers by this House to Colonial Governments, and when those powers are transferred—
§ Mr. BrockwayTo peoples' Governments—
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd—and then used, he expects me to be responsible for their use, for the use of powers which were freely surrendered by this House. I cannot add to the Answer which I have given.
§ Mr. BottomleyWas not what the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations said supported by the right hon. Gentleman, and does not this apply both ways? Is it not wrong for the Federal Government to push on with a Federal Police Force and things of that kind before the 1960 conference takes place?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThat is quite another matter and does not arise out 1097 of the Questions I have answered. I do not know what the right hon. Gentleman has in mind when he talks about a Federal Police Force, but if he wants to ask Questions about it he had better address them to the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations.