§ 2.45 p.m.
§ LORD GLADWYNMy 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 whether they are still in favour of granting early independence to the Federation of South Arabia; and if so, what conclusion they draw from the recent call of the Prime Minister of Aden State for the full application of United Nations rcommendations, including that for the evacuation by this country of the Aden base.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS AND FOR THE COLONIES (LORD TAYLOR)My Lords, with regard to the first part of the Question, Her Majesty's Government abide by their stated intention of enabling Aden and the Protectorate of South Arabia to become independent by 1968. As your Lordships may be aware, my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, made known on May 11 in another place his intention to appoint a Constitutional Commission to visit South Arabia and assist in progress towards this end.
274 With regard to the second part of the Question, the statement made by the Chief Minister of Aden State in Legislative Council on April 19 did not specifically call for the evacuation of the base, and since defence and external affairs are Federal subjcts, it would not have been in order for him to do so.
The policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the base remains as stated by my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Defence in another place on December 17 last, when he mentioned the extreme importance which Her Majesty's Government attach to creating the political conditions in South Arabia which will enable us to continue to fulfil a peace-keeping role from there with the consent of its people. The eventual arrangements for the base will be a matter for negotiation between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the new State at the time when South Arabia becomes independent.
§ LORD GLADWYNMy Lords, while thanking Her Majesty's Government for that reply, may I ask whether they do not think it extremely likely that in the next two years the demand for our evacuation of the Aden base will grow in what was the Protectorate; and, that being so, would it not be wise at least to contemplate the evacuation of the base in the fairly near future, thereby saving a sum of approximately £120 million a year?
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, I think that is a highly hypothetical question.