§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply he has given to the recent delegation from the Bahamas House of Assembly on constitutional changes in the Colony.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe main recommendations in the report of the recent Select Committee of the Bahamas House of Assembly were that the members of the Executive Council, with the exception of the ex-officio Members, should be elected by the House of Assembly from Members of the Legislature, and that Members of Public Boards should then be chosen by the Executive Council. I have informed the recent Delegation from the majority party in the House of Assembly, and also the Leader of the People's Progressive Party in the House of Assembly who was here at the same time, that until I am satisfied that these changes have general support in the Colony I cannot consider them.
I have, however, agreed that as a matter of practice and in accordance with the usual conventions of consulting majority opinion, the Governor should consult the Leader for the Government, 101W who would normally be drawn from the majority party of the House of Assembly, about the appointment of Members of Executive Council and Chairmen of Public Boards. I have also agreed that the Governor should consult with the Chairmen of those Boards about the appointment of Members of the Boards. I have, however, made it clear that the Governor's discretion whether to accept advice on all these points must be unfettered.