§ 83. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the British delegate at the United Nations Trusteeship Council abstained from voting for the resolution adopted at Geneva on 28th March, recommending that countries administering United Nations Trust Territories abolish corporal punishment and whipping as soon as possible.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsThis resolution also contained an invitation to the administering authorities to give effect to certain146W resolutions of the General Assembly parts of which were not acceptable to us—and on one of the points at issue views later expressed by U.N.E.S.C.O and the Trusteeship Council Visiting Mission to West Africa lend support to our attitude. It was, therefore, not possible for the United Kingdom delegate to support this resolution. On the particular question of corporal punishment, however, he had at an earlier stage made clear the policy of His Majesty's Government by supporting resolutions advocating that such punishment be abolished as soon as possible in Tanganyika and the Cameroons; and he re-affirmed this policy in a statement explaining his abstention on the resolution to which my hon. Friend refers.