Britain’s Attitude In Dispute With Malta

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28552, 3 April 1958, Page 13

Britain’s Attitude In Dispute With Malta

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, April 2. There was “no place for pistols” in negotiations between Britain and Malta on the proposed integration of the Mediterranean colony with Britain the Colonial under-secretary, Mr J. D. Profumo told the House of Commons last night. Mr Profumo was replying to the debate on Malta which referred to a resolution passed last December by the Maltese Legislative Assembly.

This called for the severance of ties with Britain unless the British Government provided alternative work for dismissed dockyard workers at the British naval base. Mr Profumo said the British Government had pointed no pistols at Malta’s Prime Minister. Mr Mintoff. It had “only made sensible suggestions."

Mr Mintoff has refused to recommend integration, with Maltese representation in the British Parliament, on the British Government’s terms.

The Colonial Secretary, Mr Lennox-Boyd has blamed Mr Mintoff for the deadlock in the talks because he attached "new and extremely different” conditions for integration and had also demanded that Britain either agree to new and extensive financial aid for the island or be ready to grant its independence. Mr Profumo said so long as the Maltese Government tried to attach one-sided conditions of independence to the integration plan, the British Government could not introduce legislation to carry out plans for closer association. The House accepted, without a

vote, a formal Government motion asking it to take note of the Colonial Secretary's statement last Tuesday on the result of his talks with Mr Mintoff. Mr MintofTs methods came In for criticism from all parties during the debate. Mr James Callaghan, the chief Labour speaker, said the Maltese Assembly's resolution was extremely ill-advised. It had undoubtedly made the situation more difficult than it need otherwise have been.