§ 50. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the offer by the British Government to the Government of Malta to transfer its responsibilities from his Department to the Home Office and on the other constitutional changes involved in this.
§ 51. Mr. Braineasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any further communications have been received from the Government of Malta in regard to the offer made last year to transfer responsibility for the island's affairs from the Colonial Office to the Home Office.
§ Mr. LytteltonI have no further statement to make yet. My right hon. Friend described in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Braine) on 2nd December the offer which had been made to the Prime Minister of Malta. There has since been a General Election in Malta, and a new Government has been formed under Dr. Borg Olivier. No further communication has yet been received from him on this matter, and I cannot usefully add anything until I know how the present Maltese Government view the proposal.