HC Deb 17 December 1959 vol 615 cc202-3W
8. Mr. Brockway

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what recent proposals have been made to him on the restoration of self-government in Malta; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. J. Amery

As the House knows my right hon. Friend visited Malta last week. Before leaving the Island, he made a statement, the text of which is as followsMay I say first how glad I am that Malta is the first territory I have visited as Secretary of State for the Colonies. There is a great affection for Malta in the United Kingdom and a great desire to work out a prosperous future for her within the framework of a satisfactory constitutional settlement. I was very glad to see something of the progress being made under the Five-Year Plan, and in particular to visit Bailey (Malta) Ltd. The conversion of the Dockyard to commercial repair work is vital for the future of Malta. These developments need the unreserved support of the people of Malta and Gozo. Some people expressed to me fears that a single 5-year period was insufficient to complete the re-orientation of your economy. I can assure you that we recognise that the present Five Year Plan is only a first step—though a very significant one—towards the development and diversification of the economy of Malta. Five years is a normal period for which it is practicable to plan ahead. So long as Her Majesty's Government are ultimately responsible for Maltese affairs, you will continue to be eligible for financial assistance from moneys made available by Parliament. It has been very valuable to me to meet a large number of leading people in many walks of life, and I have heard a wide range of opinions. I was particularly interested in the talks I had on constitutional and financial matters with the leaders of three political parties, and on industrial and employment matters with the President and leading members of G.W.U. These talks have been of the greatest assistance to me. There are certain things I have tried to make clear. It has always been Her Majesty's Government's hope that the present constitutional arrangements, which were brought into effect last April, would be of short duration. At the same time a return to responsible government is clearly dependent on framing a constitution generally acceptable to the people of Malta which also recognises the special relationship between Malta and Her Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth. It follows that we must safeguard the welfare of the Maltese people, the strategic interests of the United Kingdom and of the Western world to which Malta belongs, and the undertakings given by my predecessor. The first thing that I said when I came to Malta was that I had not come with a preconceived plan for constitutional advance. Equally after such a short visit it would be quite wrong to try and lay down what the lines of future advance must be. I intend on my return to London to consult with the Prime Minister and my colleagues and then to decide on what is the right thing to do.

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