§ Mrs. Shirley Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give the reasons for Her Majesty's Government's abstention on the United Nations resolution to set up an economic development fund for the Protectorates of Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThe resolution was not concerned solely with the establishment of an economic development fund but dealt with a number of other matters concerning the three territories. In a separate vote on the paragraph of the resolution concerning the establishment of an economic development fund, the United Kingdom representative voted in favour, but abstained on the resolution as a whole because it contained certain other paragraphs which Her Majesty's Government could not support.
I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of the resolution and the 94W text of the statement made by the United Kingdom delegate in explanation of our vote.