HC Deb 15 July 1965 vol 716 cc764-6
20. Sir P. Agnew

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the constitutional conference to determine the future of British Guiana and fix the date for independence is to be held; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Greenwood

I have suggested to the Governor of British Guiana that the conference shall begin on the 2nd November.

Sir P. Agnew

Does the right hon. Gentleman expect that the fruits of the conference will be an early grant of independence now that British Guiana has shown that it can possess and run a system of stable Government that has persisted now for over half a year?

Mr. Greenwood

British Guiana has perhaps done even better than the hon. Gentleman's wording seems to suggest, but the fruits of the conference are largely a matter for the conference itself. One of the objectives is to discuss the future constitutional provision for British Guiana and to decide what steps are to be taken and the timetable to which they should accord.

Mr. Sandys

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that his rather circumlocutory way of answering that question will undoubtedly cause doubts in the minds of the people of British Guiana as to whether he is going to carry out the very definite pledge given by the late Government, and confirmed earlier by him, that the purpose of the conference is to fix a date for independence? Can we have it quite clear that that will be the purpose of this conference and that it will not be to fix time tables for procedures, and so on, about which he spoke? Can we be quite clear that the conference will fix a date for independence?

Mr. Greenwood

It is to do all these things, and it is hoped that agreement will be reached about a date for independence. That is what we want. We want to fulfil the pledge that we have already given about independence for British Guiana.

Mr. Sandys

The right hon. Gentleman says that he hopes that agreement will be reached. The decision rests with Her Majesty's Government. Her Majesty's Government are able to decide when independence is to take place. Of course there may be disagreement—we know that there always is disagreement—at this conference on British Guiana, but I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will make it clear that he intends to carry out the pledge to fix a date for independence. It is within his power to do so. Naturally, he must consult all concerned in British Guiana, but will he give that pledge?

Mr. Greenwood

We have made it perfectly clear that we are holding this conference at the beginning of November in order to carry out the pledges that we have already given about independence. The whole House will realise that the maximum degree of agreement that we can get about changes of this kind the better it is for all concerned, but we have not the slightest intention of walking out on any undertakings which have previously been given.