§ Mr. Hornbyasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations when Her Majesty's Government propose to introduce legislation consequent on the declared state of the Federal Government of Nigeria to become a Republic with the Commonwealth.
§ Mr. SandysThe Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Nigeria has stated that it is the intention of his Government that Nigeria shall become a Republic on or about 1st October, 1963. It will, in the circumstances, be necessary for legislation to be enacted here to secure that the operation of United Kingdom law in relation to Nigeria will not be affected once the Republic ceases to be part of Her Majesty's dominions. But the Nigerian Federal Government have not yet informed Her Majesty's Government of the precise form which the republican constitution will take. Her Majesty's Government have therefore decided that it will be necessary to defer the proposed legislation until the next 133W session of Parliament, and then to introduce it in retro-active form. This would be in line with the procedure followed in respect of the Ireland Act, 1949.