Anguilla (Hansard, 16 June 1969)

§ 15. Mr. Marten
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now publish a White Paper on the Anguilla operation.

§ Mr. Whitlock
No, Sir.

§ Mr. Marten
As the allegations of murder, arson and significant gun running have now all proved, through answers from the hon. Gentleman himself, to have been totally misleading, is it not time that the Government should bare their breasts and publish a White Paper about the whole of the Anguilla operation?

§ Mr. Whitlock
On 23rd April my right hon. Friend undertook to consider giving more detailed information and in what form that might be given, but he later suggested that the information given to the House was adequate. He said on 5th May that he did not find the amount of fresh argument for a White Paper very impressive.

§ 16. Mr. Marten
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Anguilla.

§ 34. Mr. Cordle
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement on Anguilla.

§ Mr. Whitlock
I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Fisher) on 23rd May.—[Vol. 784, c. 152–3.]

§ Mr. Marten
But in that reply the island of Anguilla was referred to as 13 part of the Unitary State of St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. How does that square with the hon. Gentleman's undertaking when he arrived in Anguilla that the islanders should not live under an administration which they did not like? Can this double talk be cleared up now once and for all?

§ Mr. Whitlock
This is quite clear. Anguilla is legally and constitutionally still part of the State of St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla.

§ Mr. Cordle
When are the new elections likely to take place on the island?

§ Mr. Whitlock
It is too early to be definite about this. An advisory council has been established and is functioning very well.

§ Sir Alec Douglas-Home
The hon. Member has said that the information given to the House by the Foreign Secretary was, in the Foreign Secretary's opinion, adequate, but the trouble is that it was not accurate. Will he therefore accede to my hon. Friend's request and to the request of this side of the House that we should have the accurate information? The House is due this after the statements made by the right hon. Gentleman.

§ Mr. Whitlock
It is evident from all the information given to the House that not even the most rudimentary lawful agency for the enforcement of law and order existed on the island. There was a legal vacuum which caused the whole of the Caribbean great concern. In those circumstances, Her Majesty's Government took the action that they did.