§ 43. Mr. Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the date and time of the receipt by the Governor of Nyasaland of the information which caused him to declare a state of emergency and the date and time of the receipt of this information by his Department in London.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Governor's decision to declare an emergency depended not only on specific information received by him but on the general development of the situation in the territory. He informed me of the probability that he would have to declare a state of emergency in a telegram which reached the Colonial Office at 10.30 p.m. on 26th February. And he told me of his definite intention to do so in a telegram which reached me at 2 p.m. on 2nd March. I had been aware, even before 26th February, that the Governor considered that the declaration of a state of emergency would probably become necessary.
§ Mr. SwinglerAre we to take it, therefore, from that answer that there is no specific evidence of a plot? Did not the Secretary of State say last week that suddenly some evidence of a conspiracy had come to light, whereas we are now told that it was on more or less general information that the Governor declared the emergency? Did not the Governor the day before say to the Press that there was no need to declare a state of emergency to deal with dissidents? Is it credible that the Governor changed his mind within a few hours unless strong political pressure had been brought to bear on him?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI dealt with all those three mis-statements of the hon. Gentleman in detail in the debate which took place at 7 o'clock a few nights ago.
§ Mr. CallaghanWill the Colonial Secretary make available to the House, in the form of a White Paper or a statement, the details of the plot upon which the Governor acted? In view of the fact that journalists in Blantyre have been passing some information over here, can the House of Commons please have an authoritative statement of it?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Gentleman knows, or should know, that it is impossible to give an answer of an affirmative kind to that question, anyhow at this stage. Information of this kind is bound to be confidential, as anybody who has held high office, under difficult circumstances, knows only too well.
§ Mr. CallaghanI am asking whether the House of Commons can have an authoritative statement on the plot. If journalists in Blantyre can be met by the Governor and told what it was that led him to declare a state of emergency and be given the details of the plot, why cannot the House of Commons have at least that information?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI have already made two statements on that.