§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has received from the Canadian Government about their plans to request the patriation to Canada of the British North America Acts of 1867 to 1946.
§ Mr. HattersleyI have received no proposals from the Canadian Government on this matter. The British North America Acts, which contain the constitution of Canada, can be amended in certain important respects only by Act of the United Kingdom Parliament. The Canadian Prime Minister has expressed publicly the desire of the Canadian Government that this power of amendment should be a matter of Canadian competence and should no longer be exercisable by the United Kingdom Parliament. If a request to effect such a change were to be received from the Parliament of Canada it would be in accordance with precedent for the United Kingdom Government to introduce in Parliament, and for Parliament to enact, appropriate legislation in compliance with the request.