HC Deb 02 March 1961 vol 635 cc1730-2
10. Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps he is taking to ensure that the new constitution proposed for Southern Rhodesia has the support of the African population who now enjoy the protection of the United Kingdom Government.

Mr. Sandys

As the hon. Member is aware, the new constitutional proposals for Southern Rhodesia are the outcome of a conference at which the Africans were fully represented.

Mr. Stonehouse

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the National Democratic Party has now rejected the conclusions of the conference? Is he aware that a rederendum is being held in the mainly white electorate? If this referendum is being held in the mainly white electorate, could not a referendum be arranged for the African population who look upon Britain as the protecting Power and who have most to lose by these new proposals?

Mr. Sandys

I am quite sure that they have most to gain by the new proposals.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Will not the entry of black African members into the Southern Rhodesian Parliament be a most welcome and, indeed, overdue reform, and is not my right hon. Friend to be congratulated upon it? Is it not regrettable that certain African leaders should have resiled from the agreement made?

Mr. Sandys

The effect of these proposals so far as representation is concerned is almost certain to be that the Africans who at present have no members of Parliament will have something approaching one-quarter of the seats in the new Parliament.

Mr. Marquand

Has the right hon. Gentleman had any further negotiations with the National Democratic Party since? Have they had the opportunity together to consider the results of the conference? Has the party made any new representations to him, and is he endeavouring to try to reassure that party about his intentions?

Mr. Sandys

I do not think we should be too worried about the attitude of the National Democratic Party. It has made it clear on more than one occasion since the conference that it warmly welcomes the new safeguards against discrimination. It described them as a halfway house towards the ideals towards which that party is working. On the question of representation and the franchise, it would naturally have liked to have got more, but that is a common feature in all negotiations. As I said, the new proposals will give the Africans probably about one-quarter of the new seats, and I am quite sure that the Africans as a whole would be extremely disappointed if the new proposals were dropped.