HC Deb 15 July 1965 vol 716 c93W
Mr. Rose

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to speed up the granting of political independence to the population of Aden.

Mr. Greenwood

I regard the appointment of the Constitutional Commission for South Arabia as the surest way of bringing Aden and the rest of the area to early independence. It is essential for the leaders and peoples of the territory itself now to face up to the numerous and difficult practical questions posed by the quest for unity in South Arabia. The Commission will therefore need the fullest co-operation from all concerned with the future of the area in framing a constitution which satisfies the peoples' wishes, reconciles divergent interests, and so lays the foundations for a stable democratic state.