§ Mr. Woodallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the independence of the Solomon Islands, it is intended that there should be a new British Protectorates, Protected States and Protected Persons Order.
§ Mr. LuardThe Solomon Islands, the last remaining British Protectorate, achieved independence on 7th July. It is intended to lay a new order before the Privy Council on 25th July. This order will take account of the fact that there are no remaining British Protectorates. A number of British protected persons, however, remain who owe this national status to their connection with a State or territory formerly under Her Majesty's protection or with Brunei. Under the new order such persons will continue to have that status until they acquire some other nationality but no further persons will be added to their number except to the extent necessary to honour our international obligations for the avoidance of statelessness. The new order omits reference to the New Hebrides which will thus lose its status as a British protected state for nationality purposes and will become a foreign country. This has little practical effect and will remove an anomaly. Nationals of the State of Brunei who are British protected persons will lose that status as from the coming into effect of the new652W treaty of friendship and co-operation between the United Kingdom and Brunei negotiated in London earlier this month. This is expected to take effect from a date in December 1983.