§ 2.34 p.m.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question of which I have given private notice. The Question is as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any statement to make on the High Commission Territories.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, I am obliged to the noble and learned Earl for giving me the opportunity to make a brief statement in explanation of the White Paper (Command Paper 8707) which is to be issued to-day. The White Paper contains the records of past discussions between Her Majesty's Governments in the United Kingdom and the Union of South Africa about the future of the three territories of Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland, during the period from 1909 to 1939. A publication covering broadly similar ground is being issued simultaneously by the Union Government. The Union Government's publication follows an undertaking given by the Prime Minister of the Union, Dr. Malan, in the South African Parliament in February this year that he would publish the records of past discussions between the two Governments on this subject. Subsequently, the Union Government sought the concurrence of the United Kingdom Government in the publication of certain of the documents. The United Kingdom Government saw no objection to the proposal and decided to take the opportunity of making available to Parliament here their own records of those discussions.
§ VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, I assume that nothing in this White Paper will in any way weaken the declaration which the Government have already made in respect of the territories.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYNo, it makes no difference of any kind. It is merely a question of past history.