HC Deb 11 April 1945 vol 409 c1836W
Colonel Lyons

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in consonance with the repeated wishes of non-officials, leaders and bodies in the territories concerned, he will take the opportunity of the arrival in this country of the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa to consult with him on the possibility of convening, at an early date, somewhere in Africa, a conference of British African States, including the Seychelles and Mauritius, and official and non-official representatives to discuss political, social, economic and scientific problems common to all.

Colonel Stanley

His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are anxious to secure the closest co-operation between the various African countries on matters of common interest. So far as they are concerned, they consider that this, under present circumstances, can best be achieved by conferences on specific subjects, such as the recent most successful Civil Aviation Conference at Cape Town, which was attended by unofficials from the East and Central African Territories as well as by Governors.