HL Deb 03 December 1964 vol 261 cc1202-15

3.27 p.m.

Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

My Lords, I have it on command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Gambia Independence Bill, has consented to place Her prerogative and interest, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.

LORD TAYLOR

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. The object of the Bill is to provide for the independence of The Gambia on February 18, 1965. I must begin by saying that many of your Lordships know a great deal more about this subject than I do, so if I make any howlers or boobs I hope your Lordships will be charitable to me. A Gambia Independence Conference was held in London in July, under the chairmanship of Mr. Duncan Sandys and the noble Marquess, Lord Lansdowne. There were at this conference representatives of all the Parties in Gambia. The Conference agreed on the date of independence for Gambia and on the form of the Independence Constitution. I think your Lordships would all wish me to say that the noble Marquess, Lord Lansdowne, played a considerable part in reaching this agreement, and to say that we and Gambia ought to be very grateful to him.

The Report of the Conference was presented as a White Paper, and those of your Lordships who are interested will have read it. It was the wish of all those represented at the Independence Conference, and it is the wish of the Government of Gambia, that Gambia should, on independence, be a full member of the Commonwealth. The Government and all the other Commonwealth countries have been informally consulted, and they have indicated their readiness to agree to the wishes of The Gambia people in this respect. I must say it gladdens all our hearts that the Gambians have decided to stay with us in this way. It was also the wish of all those represented at the Conference that Gambia should remain a Monarchy, with Her Majesty the Queen the Queen of Gambia. Her Majesty has consented to this request.

My Lords, I said I did not know much about Gambia. My advisers have endeavoured to coach me, and I was very fortunate in that the noble Lord, Lord Milverton, who is going to speak soon, did a bit of coaching at tea yesterday. I am therefore not quite as ignorant as I was. Gambia is an extremely interesting place. If I say some things which are familiar to some of your Lordships, I hope they will not be familiar to all of you and that you may find it as interesting to learn about it as I did.

English people reached Gambia very long ago, in 1587. A traders' federation on an island in the Gambia River was taken over in 1661 by an expedition of Royal Adventurers. I believe Prince Rupert was involved in this expedition. Then it became the centre of our influence until we built the present capital, Bathurst, in about 1816. It was called Bathurst after an ancestor of the noble Earl of whom we saw so much in the earlier part of the last Parliament. His ancestor was at that time Secretary of State for the Colonies. Incidentally, some people call it "Bahthurst", but we know that the proper way to pronounce it is "Bathurst".

From that time on, the main purpose for which we used Gambia was the sup- pression of the slave trade. I am afraid we had done something in the past to encourage this, but we gradually extended up the Gambia River in order to suppress the slave trade. In the last six decades we have done our best to help develop the social services and institutions of democratic government within The Gambia. Fortunately, it is the best which we have done for the Gambia rather than the worst which is now remembered by its people, and they have strong ties of friendship with this country and the Commonwealth.

We have promised them some aid, and I think I should record what we promised: a grant in aid to a maximum of £745,000 for the eighteen months ending June, 1966; £360,000 for the twelve months ending June, 1967; capital assistance of £800,000 per annum until June, 1967, for development purposes; and, then, an extra last resort loan of up to £400,000 to underwrite any short-fall of other loan resources within the Development Plan. In addition, the Overseas Service Aid scheme and the help of the Ministry of Overseas Development will continue to be available to The Gambia.

Your Lordships will know that the geography of The Gambia is very remarkable. It is a long, narrow country extending straight into French Senegal for a distance of about 300 miles, and most of the way it is only about twenty miles wide. It is just a hinterland to this great river and it really is the natural outlet to the sea for this area. For historical reasons, it is British and the surrounding territory is French. The people of The Gambia, the educated people of The Gambia, are very much at home in London. Many of them are training here; they are perfectly familiar with our institutions. Yet the people of Senegal go to the University of Paris, and they are as at home in Paris as the Gambians are in London. We have two cultures existing side by side, two economic structures; yet one is the natural method of transport and outlet to the sea for the other.

Future relations between Senegal and The Gambia are, of course, matters for their free, independent Governments. I think it would be reasonable to say that we would hope that their economies may increasingly work together over the years and that they may see the good sense of using this great waterway for the benefit of both. In July of this year there was a report from the United Nations team which investigated the workings of the two Governments. As a result, there was a treaty of agreement, initialled by both Governments, providing for cooperation in foreign affairs and defence, and joint committees are to be set up to promote co-operation. The agreements are to be signed after independence. We welcome this decision and think it is the obvious way that things ought to go.

Many people have helped and served The Gambia well. I should like to say one word of tribute to the noble Lord, Lord, Milverton, who was Governor of The Gambia for three years, and to the present Governor, Sir John Paul, and indeed to all members of the Colonial Service who have helped develop this country and now see their child growing up and becoming independent. The Prime Minister, Mr. David Jawara, has done a fine job of leadership in the past few years. He is a veterinary surgeon, and I must say I am always delighted when I find colleagues in politics. It is his work and that of his Ministers that have made it possible to launch The Gambia into independence with confidence.

I think we should not forget the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. N'Jie because in these new countries the job of an Opposition is not easy. Some people do not understand that you can have a constitutional Opposition and a constitutional Government and both can be loyal to the country and to the Queen. I think The Gambia very fortunate in having both and that they work well. The development of The Gambia in the past few years (which has had full internal independence for a number of years) is largely due to the excellent work of the Africa Ministers.

I have tried to find out the origin of the name "The Gambia". It was originally called The Gambra in 1455, but nobody seems to know how it got its present name. I knew there was a medical research unit working in The Gambia at a place called Fajara, and I have made a few inquiries about the health situation there. This unit is concerned with research into malaria and anæmia in rural African populations, and various virus infections. There is a M.R.C. Trachoma Research Unit, but one of the big problems of The Gambia is still leprosy. There is a leprosarium (Alanto Leprosy Camp) with 30 patients, and 46 clinics for leprosy have been established since 1958 under a leprosy scheme. I am pleased to say that they have drugs, equipment and a vehicle supplied by UNICEF. When your Lordships send off your UNICEF Christmas cards in a few weeks' time, you can rejoice in helping to defeat leprosy in The Gambia. It may be rather a remote action, but nevertheless it is bearing fruit. Rather more than half the estimated number of cases of leprosy in The Gambia (between 8,000 and 10,000) are under treatment.

I have said what little I want to say generally about Gambia. The Bill itself follows the usual lines. There is really only one special point that I should mention, in connection with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. It is a rather technical matter and the Gambia has, as I understand it, decided to retain appeal from the Gambian Courts to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. But there is a provision whereby they may use direct access to the Privy Council instead of going through the Queen in Council should they so desire. This has been put in for a technical reason with which your Lordships will be familiar; but as it does not really arise—the Monarchy is continuing in the Gambia—I do not think we need to go into it further.

My Lords, a last word. One does feel that when these splendid new countries reach their independence it is rather like a graduation ceremony, and it is very nice when they decide to remain in the family. We know that when people grow up they have to decide what they do for themselves, and it is tremendously encouraging—I have just visited Trinidad and Jamaica—to see how independence acts as a most tremendous stimulant to getting on with life, to tackling problems and to energising the people. Sometimes they make mistakes. We all do when we are young and growing up. I hope the Government of The Gambia find their way ahead not too difficult. I do not see why they should. They have a fine Government and, I have every reason to believe, a fine Opposition. They have a very good Constitution, for which we can take no credit; but our predecessors can take considerable credit with the people of Gambia who worked it out. My Lords, I beg to move the Second Reading of this Bill.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Taylor.)

3.40 p.m.

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, I should like to take this opportunity of congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, on his appointment. I feel quite sure that his human approach and warmhearted way will be very valuable to our friends in the Commonwealth. This has been amply shown in his speech in moving the Second Reading of the Bill now before us.

It is true that I had the honour of presiding at eight of the ten plenary meetings of the Gambia Independence Conference, which was held here in London in July, and for this reason, and for many others, I am very glad to give a warm welcome to this Bill to-day. This is the tenth Independence Bill brought before Parliament in the last eight years. Having some experience of other independence conferences, I should like to record in your Lordships' House that the Gambia Independence Conference was notable for a remarkable spirit of co-operation. As the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, has said, they have great political wisdom in The Gambia, and this was most apparent throughout the course of our negotiations, negotiations which I personally very much enjoyed, because I had the feeling all along that everybody was trying to achieve the best solution for the country as a whole and not looking at political Party interests.

We all regretted, of course, that Mr. N'Jie decided that he could not sign the Independence Agreement, but I am quite certain that the reasons given by my right honourable friend Mr. Duncan Sandys in May of last year for the revalidation of the electoral register were absolutely sound; and the decision that he gave was in the best interests of The Gambia. Mr. N'Jie's decision may perhaps have created a somewhat false impression, for, as I know full well, throughout the course of these negotiations there were only very small differences between Mr. N'Jie and the Prime Minister, Mr. Jawara.

Following the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, I would pay my own personal tribute to Mr. Jawara, the Prime Minister of Gambia, and express my admiration for his wisdom and statesmanlike leadership, both at the Independence Conference and during the two years when he has been Prime Minister. I should also like to record from these Benches our gratitude to previous Governors, certainly including the noble Lord, Lord Milverton, who I am glad to know is going to speak this afternoon, and, in particular, Sir John Paul, to whose guidance and sympathetic understanding Gambia owes so very much. I would also mention by name Sir Percy Wynne Harris and Sir Edward Windle.

But, my Lords, though I mention certain gentlemen by name, we do not, of course, on either side of the House, forget the work which has been done by our Oversea Civil Service—devoted, generous and selfless work over the years. Nor do we forget the contribution that has been made in The Gambia by the British traders, to whom the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, referred. They have been there for many generations. Indeed, our first permanent post was established in The Gambia as long ago as 1661. For this reason it is a source of great gratification to us that the people of Gambia wish to remain under the British Crown and within the British Commonwealth of nations. These 300 years of association are years that we shall not forget, and it is nice to feel that the people of Gambia do not wish to forget them either.

The Gambia has achieved a very rapid constitutional advance. During my limited experience, I was impressed by the political wisdom of those Gambian people with whom I worked. In 1954 there was an elected majority in the Legislative Council and an unofficial majority in the Executive Council. By 1960, the Protectorate had achieved universal franchise and in 1962, there were the elections, leading to full internal self-government. But though the people of the Gambia possess considerable political wisdom, and a real sense of co-operation, they are hampered by scanty economic means—and to these the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, has referred. For some time to come it will certainly not be possible for them to balance their budget, and it has been agreed, as again the noble Lord has told us, that they shall receive budgetary assistance from us, but on a tapering basis. until mid-1967. We are also to support their current development plan to the tune of £800,000 per annum, and this will run on until June, 1967. As the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, has said, the overseas aid scheme which we signed in 1961 will run on until 1971.

But despite all these provisions, which are absolutely vital to the economy of The Gambia, she still has a considerable economic problem to face up to, and I think that it is generally agreed by the Gambians themselves that their best hope for the future lies in as close an association as possible with the Republic of Senegal. Certainly this is my own opinion and I had the impression throughout the Conference that this was also the feeling of all the delegates. We, for our part, welcome the progress they have already made in this direction, of setting up an inter-Ministerial Committee, which I am sure is the right way to set about things, and they have decided to cooperate in foreign affairs and in defence.

The noble Lord, Lord Taylor, has referred to the peculiar shape of The Gambia. It is very peculiar indeed, purely through the accident of colonial history. It was, once upon a time, part of the country called Senegambia. The Gambia's main asset is unquestionably the Gambia River, which, I may perhaps remind your Lordships, is the great natural waterway of the Senegal—far more so than the Senegal River. And the Gambia River cuts the Senegal in two. Up to now, full use has not been made of this river. Of course, they have made one great step forward in creating the great Gambia Highway, which crosses over the river, and which links the two separated parts of Senegal together.

It is not for us to advise the people of Senegal or Gambia whit form their association with one another should take. The United Nations Expert Committee, to which the noble Lord referred, has suggested that some process of association should take place in successive steps. This, I am sure, is right, and whether this will be achieved quickly or slowly will be a matter for the people of Senegal and Gambia. But, of course, a country which is just becoming independent naturally has strong patriotic feelings. I am sure that all of us have every sympathy with the people of Gambia and respect their sense of patriotism and their new sense of dignity in being an independent people. At the same time, I believe that they have combined with this spirit a real appreciation of the interdependence of States in the modern world, and in this I find great hopefulness for the future.

I hope that, in considering future development projects, the Gambian Government will seek to co-ordinate those projects with those of the Republic of Senegal. At the same time, it seems to me that the two principal donor countries, Britain and France, should also seek to co-ordinate their programmes of aid, when considering development projects for The Gambia and for the Republic of Senegal respectively. In conclusion, I should like to send from your Lordships' House my personal greetings to all those Gambian delegates to the Independence Conference with whom I had the pleasure of working in July of this year. From these Benches, I offer our sincere good wishes to The Gambia, to the Prime Minister, Mr. Jawara, to his Government and to all the Gambian people.

3.50 p.m.

LORD MILVERTON

My Lords, I rise to support the Second Reading of this Bill. It has been my happy lot to serve in many Colonies and protectorates, most of which have now achieved independence, and as they emerge one by one into independent members of the Commonwealth they face the paradox of living in a world which is at the moment increasingly interdependent. Thirty years ago, when I was in The Gambia, if anyone had suggested to me that within the next thirty years this small country, with a population then estimated at about 170,000, was destined to become an independent member of the Commonwealth, I should have regarded him as an unreasonable optimist. Well, my Lords, the dreams of yester year have become the facts of to-day.

As the Secretary of State aptly said recently in another place, The Gambia makes up in history what it lacks in size. Early explorers of the interior of Africa had a way of starting via The Gambia—notably Mungo Park. From 1821 to 1843 The Gambia was governed from Sierra Leone. In 1843 it became an independent administration, and in 1902 its boundaries were defined and agreed with the French Government. As we know now, full internal self-government has been enjoyed by The Gambia since October, 1963.

The chief physical assets of The Gambia capable of development are the river and its port, at Bathurst, and the air station. The air station has quite a long history. In my time there it was the centre from which the Lufthansa used to mount their their attempts to fly by seaplane across the Atlantic. From then on the Bathurst Air Station has had an increasing part in air traffic, and no doubt in the future, possibly in association with its neighbour, it will have an even greater part to play. Another asset, perhaps, is that of its climate, which is benign and cool from December to about April. I can remember in my time in The Gambia having to sit during the day in my office wearing a sweater because it was so cool for the time of the year. It has, no doubt, a very possible tourist future.

The Gambia River, as has been said this afternoon, is by nature an important waterway. It is estimated that it is 700 miles in its sinuous length, and 300 miles from its mouth on the Atlantic to Yarbatenda, in the North, with a narrow strip of, on the average, about seven miles each side of the river. This makes up the territory known as The Gambia, 4,000 square miles in all of its extraordinary shape. It is surrounded, as we have been told, on all three landward sides by former French territory, now the Republic of Senegal. So geographically, ethnically, economically and socially it seems destined to close collaboration with the Republic of Senegal, since it controls one of the potential great waterways of West Africa. No doubt the political circumstances of the past have prevented the use being made of that waterway which might otherwise have been its lot.

This is not the time to go into elaborate details of The Gambia's long connection with Western Europe. Suffice it to say that our connection with the Gambia dates back 300 years, longer than that with any other African territory. Its pleasant people are thrifty and industrious, with very limited natural resources; and life is, and often has been, very hard for them. None the less, it is an outstanding example of a happy partnership leading harmoniously to the independent status of which the measure now before us is the enabling Bill. Already the two Governments of Senegal and The Gambia have entered into agreements providing for co-operation in foreign affairs and defence; and what form their future collaboration may take remains, as it should, within the free choice of the Gambian people.

The resources of The Gambia are so limited that for an indefinite future it cannot be economically viable, and one may confidently hope that the British Government will continue to give generously, not only budgetary aid, but also development aid and technical co-operation of every kind. I think I can say without fear of contradiction that the people of The Gambia—Mandingo, Tula and Woloff and others of smaller numbers—being predominantly Moslem in religion, regard their long connection with this country with affection and respect. Many of their present problems spring from a colonial past—not least the strange shape of their boundaries.

It is their own wish that they should become members of the Commonwealth and retain that connection which will give them a stronger background when they come to confer with their powerful neighbour, the Republic of Senegal, on the extent and method of their future collaboration. The problems—administrative, linguistic, cultural and economic—which lie ahead of them are not at all easy of solution, and a glance at the map will show that The Gambia is just a territorial enclave of Senegal. Just as Senegal has grown up in the French tradition, with all that that implies in the way of culture and otherwise, so The Gambia has grown up in the British tradition. The question which lies before them is how they can harmoniously coalesce in the future for the benefit of both countries.

I know that we all wish them well, and I should like to conclude with an expression of appreciation of the friendly and wise co-operation, and the mutual respect, which has guided the Prime Minister, Mr. Jawara (who I think was at school when I was in The Gambia) and the Governor, Sir John Paul, to this successful achievement of independent status. Sir John Paul has effectively continued the work of Sir Percy Wynne Harris and Sir Edward Windley. Some of us had the opportunity of meeting the delegates of The Gambia a few months ago when they came to this country—representatives both of the Government and of the Opposition—and I am sure that they are all determined to cooperate in promoting the future welfare of their country.

As is the custom in this House, perhaps I ought to have declared at the beginning of my remarks an interest in the Bill before us. The Bank of West Africa, which is the only bank functioning in The Gambia, opened there in November, 1901, and has done 63 years of service to that country in the way of providing for financial business. Over the past fourteen years, as a director of the Bank of West Africa, I have been able to pay one or two brief visits to the country which I used to know so well, and to meet again old African friends and others, now in leading positions, who were still at school when I was there. My wife and I retain the happiest memories of our three or four years of service in The Gambia, and we have gladly accepted an invitation from the Government of Gambia to be present at the Independence celebrations in February. I am glad therefore—gladder than ever—of this opportunity of supporting the Second Reading of this Bill.

4.3 p.m.

LORD TAYLOR

My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Marquess for his very kind remarks, and also the noble Lord, Lord Milverton, for what he has said. There is little that needs replying to, but I think I should say three or four things. I should like to say to the noble Marquess that I see very well his point about development aid being a coordinated effort, at both the receiving end and the giving end. I have noted it, and I will see that we do what we can to achieve this. It would be good for us and for France, as well as for Senegal and The Gambia.

The noble Lord, Lord Milverton, mentioned the air station. Hundreds of thousands of British people have visited The Gambia for one day on the staging route when the Mediterranean was closed. They know of the existence of The Gambia, and know a little more than some of us did before. I was glad also that the noble Lord mentioned the possibility of the development of the tourist trade. The tourist trade, if it is looked upon as a holiday trade and not as a luxury trade, where ordinary people can get plenty of exercise and exert themselves and not just sit about, is something entirely admirable. People of all social classes can now afford to have holidays abroad and the more everybody has them the better, but I do not think that sitting about in luxury does anybody any good.

LORD AMULREE

My Lords, I cannot see what is wrong in sitting about if that is what you want to do.

LORD TAYLOR

My Lords, I think it makes you constipated intellectually, morally and physically. I hope that it will be a good mixed class tourist trade, and not just an upper class luxury one.

LORD ST. OSWALD

My Lords, this is most interesting. I can see that the doctors are disagreeing, as usual.

LORD TAYLOR

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Milverton, mentioned that The Gambia is 4,000 square miles in area; and he also said (and the noble Marquess, Lord Lansdowne, indicated this, as my advisers certainly advised me) that economic viability will not be easy to achieve. I am not venturing to disagree with those noble Lords and with my advisers who say it will not be easy, but I think it can be done. I think The Gambia should not look forward to continuous aid for ever. That is a very bad approach to things. They can take encouragement from the fact that Jamaica has precisely the same area as The Gambia, 4,000 square miles; Jamaica has its problems, but it supports a population three times that of The Gambia.

I do not know what the geography is like, but The Gambia has this wonderful asset, this great river, which is a sort of St. Lawrence Seaway of the area. It could be a "St. Lawrence freeway" one day, and I hope it will. The people are full of life and "go". I think they should be full of life and economic "go", too. I hope the bank of the noble Lord, Lord Milverton, will supply the needful, to help them from the commercial point of view. The noble Lord mentioned how young Mr. Jawara was. I think he is only 44, and most of his Cabinet are under thirty—and that is not a bad state for a Cabinet to be in.

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: Hear, hear!

LORD TAYLOR

We are young in heart, too. I am delighted that the noble Lord, Lord Milverton, will be there for the Independence celebrations. I hope that some of us may get a free trip, too.

On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.