§ 5. Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek to transfer the financial cost of Her Majesty the Queen's representatives in still dependent territories of the Commonwealth to the charge of his Department, reducing where appropriate their grant-in-aid by an equivalent amount.
§ Mr. WhitlockThere would be considerable complications about this, and I doubt whether the benefits would justify the extensive rearrangement that would be necessary.
§ Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether it is proposed to grant associated status to any of the remaining dependent territories.
§ Mr. George ThomsonHer Majesty's Government regard Associated Statehood as one possible eventual status for those of our dependent territories which either are not able to sustain or do not want independence.