TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO REPUBLIC BILL [Lords] (Hansard, 18 October 1976)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Edward Rowlands)

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

This short Bill is a technical measure which is needed because Trinidad and Tobago became a republic on 1st August 1976. It follows the same lines as well-established precedents. I trust, therefore, that hon. Members will agree that the Bill is a non-controversial one.

The decision to become a republic was, of course, one for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to take and did not in any way require the concurrence of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. However, the consequence of this decision is that certain changes need to be made in the law of the United Kingdom. The Bill before the House provides that the law of the United Kingdom—and the law of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man—as it applies to Trinidad and Tobago will not be affected by the fact that Trinidad and Tobago is now a republic.

The Bill will not apply generally to the law of the dependent territories of the United Kingdom but only to Acts of the British Parliament and Orders in Council applying such Acts which extend to such territories. This is the common-form provision in previous such cases.

The new constitution of Trinidad and Tobago retains provision for appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Hitherto, appeals from Trinidad and Tobago have lain to Her Majesty in Council, but this is no longer appropriate now that Trinidad and Tobago is no longer a part of Her Majesty's dominions. The Bill therefore makes provision to enable Her Majesty in Council to authorise the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to exercise the jurisdiction conferred upon it by the new constitution of Trinidad and Tobago to hear appeals direct from the courts of Trinidad and Tobago.

There is one point of detail in the Bill about which Members may wish to have some explanation. This is the provision of Clause 1 for the specification of "the appointed day" by an Order 1076 in Council. Hon. Members may ask why the Bill does not simply say "1st August 1976", the day on which Trinidad and Tobago became a republic. The answer is that at the time the Bill was drafted and when it was introduced and passed in another place in July we did not know that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago were going to effect the change of constitution on 1st August; they announced this only on 27th July. The present Bill was drafted in this way, therefore, in the hope that it would have been enacted before Trinidad and Tobago became a republic so that the precise date could have been specified in the Order in Council. As matters have turned out, however, we shall have to specify as the appointed day either the day on which the Order is made or a subsequent day.

I am happy to inform hon. Members that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago have told the Commonwealth Secretary General that they wish the country to remain a member of the Commonwealth now that it is a republic, and the Secretary General so has informed the other members.

I am sure that hon. Members will join me in wishing the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and its people continuing peace and prosperity.

§ Mr. Peter Blaker (Blackpool, South)

I thank the Minister for giving such a clear exposition of the purposes and effect of the Bill. I agree with what he has said and I am happy, in particular, to confirm that the Bill is non-controversial.

I understand that the Bill has no effect on the substance of our relations with Trinidad and Tobago, and it is no disrespect to that country if we are brief; it is rather a proper recognition of the fact that it has already taken the substantive decision.

Many hon. Members and inhabitants of these islands have warm feelings towards Trinidad and Tobago because of the many long-standing links we have with that country. I had the good fortune to pay a visit there in 1974, but the bad fortune of paying it in the first two weeks of February that year. My visit was suddenly interrupted and I found myself on a plane back to this country, leaving behind the palm trees, sandy beaches and sunshine, thinking of what to put in my 1077 election address and being conscious of the fact that I was three days later than my colleagues in drawing it up.

A number of countries in the developing world have become one-party States since independence, but I understand that the next election in Trinidad and Tobago is likely to be contested by 15 parties. This is hardly an example that I suggest we should follow—we already have enough parties—but it is something of which Trinidad and Tobago can be proud.

Trinidad and Tobago has seen a number of constitutional changes since the late 1950s, when it was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. It was not owing to the initiative of Trinidad and Tobago that the federation broke up, but since the end of the federation Trinidad and Tobago has recognised the inevitable economic interdependence of neighbouring countries by being a member successively of the Caribbean Free Trade Area and CARICOM.

Of more immediate moment to this country, Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory of the Lomè Convention between 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the EEC. I look forward to the development of that agreement because of the benefit that it will bring to both sides. I also look forward to the time when the EEC will work out a comprehensive policy towards the Caribbean area, including Trinidad and Tobago.

There have been many changes in the Commonwealth in recent years and many countries have become republics. In 1949, when India became a republic, the then Mr. R. A. Butler said in this House that the Bill gave Britain the opportunity to indicate to India that we understood her aspirations and her desires for development. That sentiment now remains true of our feelings towards Trinidad and Tobago.

1078 The fact that she has decided to become a republic does not mean that her links with this country need become any weaker. Indeed, we hope that they will remain strong. We welcome the fact that Trinidad and Tobago intends to remain in the Commonwealth, which I still believe is one of the most valuable forums for the promotion of international understanding for all members, whatever their size. I am happy to wish Trinidad and Tobago success, prosperity and peace.