HC Deb 30 June 1959 vol 608 cc242-3
46. Mr. Donnelly

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the increasing complexity of colonial affairs, he will now appoint a Minister of State solely responsible for the affairs of Colonies and Protectorates in Africa.

The Prime Minister

I note the hon. Gentleman's suggestion. While the appointment of Ministers of State in different Departments has certainly helped to reduce the pressure, yet this device has not, in practice, affected the ultimate responsibility of the Secretary of State.

Mr. Donnelly

Is the Prime Minister aware that the Hola debate disclosed a situation in which either the machinery did not exist for the Secretary of State to know what was happening, or the Secretary of State was culpably negligent? Is the Prime Minister saying that he is proposing to take no further action to see that a situation like that of Hola does not arise again?

The Prime Minister

I do not accept the two deductions made by the hon. Member, but I perfectly accept, as I think is well known to us all, that while assistant Ministers or Ministers of State can very much help and do much, we have not yet found a solution of the problem which remains, that ultimate responsibility must remain with the Secretary of State. That is still a very difficult problem with the amount of travelling and additional work put on Secretaries of State nowadays.

Mr. P. Williams

Is my right hon. Friend aware that with the changing form of the Commonwealth today there is a case for reviewing the work of the Commonwealth Relations Office on the one side and the Colonial Office on the other, and considering in the long run the desirability of amalgamating the two, perhaps under the title "Commonwealth Office" with two or three Ministers of State operating in control of the oceanic regions assigned to them?

The Prime Minister

That has been considered and no doubt we shall have to think of it again. I sometimes think that many of these suggestions tend to add to rather than to reduce the total responsibility lying on the Minister in charge.

Mr. Callaghan

Whatever the merits of this suggestion, is not the real difficulty about the deterioration of relations in Africa today due to the policies followed by the Colonial Secretary?

The Prime Minister

No, Sir. I could not accept that either.

Back to