HC Deb 19 May 1954 vol 527 cc126-7W
58. Mr. Braine

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make a statement on the report of the Singapore Constitutional Commission

Mr. Hopkinson

The decisions of Her Majesty's Government upon the recommendations of this Commission are contained in a dispatch which I have sent to the Governor of Singapore in reply to one which I had had from him upon the subject. These dispatches were published together in Singapore yesterday and copies have now been placed in the Libraries of both Houses

With only one important exception, all the recommendations of the Commission have been accepted. The two main recommendations were for a Legislative Assembly consisting of a Speaker, three ex-officio members, four nominated unofficial members and 25 elected members; and for a Council of Ministers consisting of three ex-officio and six elected Ministers. The one important recommendation of the Commission which has not been accepted was that the Speaker should be elected by the Legislative Assembly from a panel of candidates chosen by the Governor. Instead, the first Speaker will be directly appointed by the Governor and it will be left for further consideration what other method of appointment, if any, should be adopted thereafter.