§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will now agree to include all those permanent residents over the age of 18 years in voting rights for the forthcoming elections in the New Hebrides;
(2) if he will put forward alternative propositions to that of power sharing for the New Hebrides Council of Ministers, in the light of the failure of this proposal to gain acceptance.
§ Mr. Luard:The decisions on the voting age qualification and on power sharing were reached after full discussion with the New Hebridean representatives who attended the Anglo-French ministerial talks in July. Any amendments to the agreed conclusions could only be made with the concurrence of all the parties concerned.
§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in view of the difficulties that have arisen in implementing the July Paris Communiqué on the New Hebrides, what plans he has now for resolving the constitutional deadlock in the Condominium.
§ Mr. Luard:It remains the intention of the French and British Governments to implement the decisions made at the ministerial talks held in Paris in July.
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§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now issue a commentary on the Paris Communiqué of July 1977 on the New Hebrides, stating precisely what powers would be handed over to the new assembly, at what date and what limits would be put on the resident Commissioners' power of veto.
§ Mr. Luard:The powers of the new Assembly are defined in an Exchange of Notes between the French and British Governments signed in London on 15th September. The exchange will be published in the Treaty Series as No. 106 (1977) and will be laid before the House about the end of November.