§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement regarding his forthcoming visit to the Channel Islands, giving (a) the purpose of the visit, (b) the persons attending with him on the visit and (c) details of who will bear the cost of the visit.
§ Mr. Whitelaw:I will not now be making this visit.
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§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement outlining the constitutional position of the United Kingdom Government with the Channel Islands and describing the extent and the limits of his responsibility for the affairs of the islands.
§ Mr. Whitelaw:The Channel Islands are internally self-governing dependencies of the Crown. The United Kingdom Government are directly responsible for their external relations and defence; the Crown is ultimately responsible for their good government. In exercising its responsibilities for the islands the Crown operates through Ministers of the Crown in their capacity as Privy Councillors. As Home Secretary, I am the member of the Privy Council with particular responsibility for island matters.