§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the present position in St. Kitts; whether any British citizens are now detained there; and whether Her Majesty's Government have been able to assist in the settlement of the political difficulties affecting that island.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD SHEPHERD)My Lords, responsibility for the internal government of St. Kitts lies with the State Government. No United Kingdom belongers are now detained there. The principal political difficulty affecting St. Kitts stems from the attempted secession of the island of Anguilla from the State of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, and in this matter, as my noble friend will know from a Statement which has just been made by my right honourable friend the Commonwealth Secretary, Her Majesty's Government have made available a senior British civil servant in Anguilla, one of whose tasks is to assist all concerned in working towards an agreed long-term solution.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for his reply, may I ask him whether he would agree that the position in St. Kitts is somewhat tragically farcical; and, in the circumstances, if he can say whether the senior civil servant is making any progress towards some amicable arrangement between the larger and the smaller islands so that they will avoid this stupid fragmentation?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, clearly fragmentation is undesirable. I wish I could say to my noble friend that some progress has been made, but I fear that this has not been the case.