§ Mr. J. Hyndasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any statement to make about the progress of the constitutional review in Nigeria.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsIt will be remembered that in my published dispatch of 15th July to the Governor (copies of which have already been placed in the Library of the House) I stated that, provided that a satisfactory settlement could be arrived at on the composition of the Nigerian Legislature and subject to further examination of details when the constitutional review was completed in Nigeria, His Majesty's Government would be willing to accept the recommendations on which agreement had been reached in Nigeria.
I am glad to say that at the September meeting of the Legislative Council agreement was reached on the composition of the Central Legislature. The Council has recommended that in present circumstances it would be preferable to have one House rather than two in the Central Legislature, and that in view of the respective populations of the Regions, the representation of the Northern Region in the Central Legislature should be equal to the representation of the other two Regions together.
His Majesty's Government accept these recommendations, and welcome the agreement which has been reached in Nigeria as a good augury for the harmonious working of the new constitution. The position now is that the points of detail to which I [...]eferred in my dispatch are being examined with a view to the preparation of constitutional instruments. It is the intention to bring the new Constitution into operation by the middle of 1951.