BARBADOS (GIFT OF A PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY) (Hansard, 21 May 1968)

§ The Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Fred Peart)

I beg to move, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that Her Majesty will give directions that there be presented on behalf of this House a gift of a Parliamentary Library to the Barbados House of Assembly and assuring Her Majesty that this House will make good the expenses attending the same. It might be for the convenience of the House if in moving this Motion on the gift to Barbados, I also referred to the Motion which I intend to move relating to the gifts to the Legislatures of the Associated States of St. Christopher, 474 Nevis and Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada.

The gift to Barbados follows the now established tradition of this House, which we are glad to honour, that we send a gift to the Legislature of a Commonwealth country to mark that country's independence within the Commonwealth.

The gift to the Associated States marks the achievement of complete internal self-government and associated status with the United Kingdom of member countries.

On 29th November, 1966, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, in reply to a Question, informed the House that Her Majesty's Government would propose that the House should offer an independence gift to the Barbados House of Assembly, and on 22nd February, 1967, he made a similar announcement in respect of the Associated States.

The Parliamentary authorities in Barbados and the Associated States, whose wishes were naturally considered, welcomed these proposals and two complete libraries of Parliamentary and constitutional works of reference have 475 therefore been assembled. Lists of the books selected are available in the Library.

If the House accepts this Motion, as I feel sure it will, arrangements will be made during the next two months. I therefore commend the Motion to the House in the expectation that it will be accepted as an expression of our friendship with and good will towards the Legislatures of Barbados and the Associated States.