§ 17. Mr. Francis Noel-Bakerasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if she will rename the new Colony which was recently set up for military purposes and which includes islands formerly administered with the Seychelles and with Mauritius, in view of the offence given by the name British Indian Ocean Territory both in India and elsewhere.
§ Mrs. WhiteNo, Sir. I have no reason to think that the name has given offence.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerMight I suggest to my hon. Friend that she asks some of the Indian Ministers, who have expressed very great concern and feel that this name is provocative? Does this not show a singular lack of imagination? Why could not these islands have been left with their original names? What is the point of this rather provocative title?
§ Mrs. WhiteI cannot see anything provocative in this. If my hon. Friend will get his mental hyphens correct, he will see that the hyphen comes between Indian and Ocean and not between British and Indian. As for using the names of islands, there are 12 main islands or groups of islets and some kind of collective nomenclature was essential.