HL Deb 27 February 1962 vol 237 cc882-3

2.48 p.m.

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assistance and encouragement they are giving to Barbados, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands to form themselves into some form of federation, following upon the collapse of the Federation of the West Indies.]

THE EARL OF PERTH

My Lords, the position is that the Premier of Barbados and the Chief Ministers of the other seven territories have themselves suggested that they should form a federation, and the suggestion is, in the view of Her Majesty's Government, a promising one. I understand that they are meeting together this week to consider this suggestion further. This move is welcome to Her Majesty's Government, but clearly a plan with a reasonable chance of success must be worked out before Her Majesty's Government can be committed to encouraging its formation. In the meantime, every effort is being made to ensure that the common services continue while the future of the individual territories is being considered.

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, will there be present at this conference, which I am very glad to hear is taking place, any representative of Her Majesty's Government, or possibly even the Governor General himself, to give active assistance in the setting up of this proposed organisation?

THE EARL OF PERTH

I think the answer to that is, No, my Lords. We feel it is much better for the Governments concerned, as it were, to thresh out the issues involved before we try to take any part in it.

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, I am sure it is interesting to the House that Her Majesty's Government feel that, but would it not be advisable to make sure whether the Governments of Barbados and the small islands themselves share that feeling, and to ascertain from them whether it would be of assistance to them to have some such adviser, observer or assister present for these deliberations?

THE EARL OF PERTH

My Lords, I think that since the initiative for the conference is theirs, we must leave it to them to invite whoever they so wish.