HC Deb 11 June 1973 vol 857 cc247-9W
Mr. Grylls

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Grenada Constitutional Conference.

Lord Balniel

The conference was held in Marlborough House from 14th to 18th May and was attended by delegations led respectively by the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition in Grenada. The Grenada Government sought Her Majesty's Government's agreement that independence should be conferred on Grenada by Order in Council made under Section 10(2) of the West Indies Act 1967. After considering this request in the light of all the arguments advanced at the conference by both delegations, Her and, as far as the embassies have notified the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the numbers of officers within each total who specialise in consular, cultural and trade matters.

Section B of the table shows the total numbers of officers on the Diplomatic Service Vote who serve in British embassies in those countries and the numbers of those officers whose duties are concerned primarily with consular and commercial matters. Cultural matters are dealt with mainly by the British Council and its staffs in the countries concerned are included in the table.

Following is the table:

Majesty's Government have decided that it would be right to accede to it. Subject to the approval of Parliament, therefore, they will recommend to The Queen that an Order in Council should be made accordingly.

The following is the text of a message which I, as chairman of the conference, sent to the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition in Grenada on 31st May to inform them of this decision:

"At the conclusion of the constitutional conference which was held in London from 14th to 18th May, I said that I and the United Kingdom delegation had listened very carefully to the arguments advanced by both the Grenada Government delegation and the Opposition delegation on the request which had been made to Her Majesty's Government that independence should be conferred on Grenada by Order in Council made under section 10(2) of the West Indies Act 1967. I promised that Her Majesty's Government would consider the matter, taking carefully into account not only everything that had been said at the conference, but also all other information that was available to them. I promised that Her Majesty's Government's decision would be made known as soon as possible.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home and I have since consulted our colleagues who have given very careful consideration to the question which we all recognise as being of great important to the people of Grenada. As you will remember, I told the conference that it would not have been convened if Her Majesty's Government had not been of the opinion that independence could legally be conferred on Grenada by Order in Council under section 10(2) of the West Indies Act 1967, provided that they were satisfied that in all the circumstances this was a justifiable course.

Having considered all the arguments put to them and the information available to them, Her Majesty's Government have now decided that it would be right and proper to confer independence on Grenada in accordance with that procedure.

Subject therefore to the approval of Parliament (as required by section 17 of the West Indies Act 1967), Her Majesty's Government will be prepared in due course to recommend to the Queen that an Order in Council should be made under section 10(2) of that Act to terminate the status of association of Grenada with the United Kingdom as from a date to be specified in the Order.

Her Majesty's Government will also be prepared, on receiving the request and consent of the State signified in accordance with section 19(5) of the West Indies Act 1967. to recommend to the Queen that an Order in Council should be made under section 5(4) of that Act to make appropriate contitutional provision for independence to take effect on the termination of association.

The introduction into the Grenada legislature of the necessary resolution to signify the "request and consent" referred to above will provide opportunity for the expression of public opinion on the form of the proposed independence constitution as discussed at the recent constitutional conference in London."

The report of the conference will be made available as a White Paper in the near future.