§ 3. Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will state the purpose for 1626 which the United Kingdom High Commissioner to the Federation of Central Africa attended the conference of 18th May between the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, the Minister of Native Affairs, and the Council of Chiefs.
§ Mr. BraineThe United Kingdom High Commissioner attended the meeting at the personal invitation of the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, Sir Edgar Whitehead.
§ Mr. ThomsonIs the Minister aware that the Commissioner's presence at this meeting raises rather serious questions? Is the Minister aware that this was a meeting at which the Southern Rhodesian Government informed the Chiefs of the still secret constitutional proposals and put forward the proposition that there should be no political meetings in the reserves? Is there not a danger that Her Majesty's High Commissioner's presence at that kind of meeting is bound to link the High Commissioner, in the eyes of citizens of Southern Rhodesia, with the political regime in that country? Is it not very important that the High Commissioner should watch these invitations very carefully and maintain his position as an independent representative of this country out there?
§ Mr. BraineI cannot accept for one moment the interpretation which the hon. Member put upon the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to enable Sir Edgar Whitehead to consult the Chiefs on certain matters which were of prime importance to the African population and which had been left over for more detailed consideration from the Constitutional Conference in February. I am not responsible for what happened at the meeting. It is for the Southern Rhodesian Government, whose meeting it was, to make any public report on what happened there. I am sure that the High Commissioner acted very properly in accepting the personal invitation.
§ Mr. ThomsonIs the Minister aware that the interpretation which I have given of the meeting is the interpretation put out by the Federal Government? Is he aware that what matters is not what the Government feel about the consequences of the meeting but the impact which it makes upon the minds of the Africans of Southern Rhodesia?
§ Mr. BraineThe hon. Member misunderstands. The purpose of the meeting was for Sir Edgar Whitehead to consult the Chiefs. The National Democratic Party had, as other African political leaders had, an opportunity quite separately to express their views. The meeting was properly conducted, and I am very glad that our High Commissioner was able to be present.