§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will refuse to recognise the South African homeland of Bophuthatswana as an independent nation State when South Africa purports to give it independence.
§ Mr. Rowlands:Our approach to the question whether we should recognise an entity claiming to be an independent sovereign State is based on well-established legal criteria taking into account all the relevant circumstances at the time: We cannot, therefore, vet take a final decision in the case of Bophuthatswana; but I have seen nothing to suggest that this homeland might meet these criteria.