Work On Future Of Small U.K. Territories

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 9

Work On Future Of Small U.K. Territories

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 5. The Colonial Secretary (Mr lain Macleod) said last night that the formation of a Commonwealth committee, with particular reference to the future of the smaller dependent territories, was going ahead.

He was replying to a debate on the recent Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference in London. It was at this conference that a decision to set up the committee was taken. Countries concerned on the committee, which was meeting this month, would consist of one Commonwealth representative from each of the continents, Mr MacLeod said. They were Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, India , and

Ghana, with the addition of New Zealand “because of her special problems in this field.” Mr MacLeod said there was "a real sense of urgency about this matter now.” Mr MacLeod said there were about 74.000,000 people living in the dependent territories of the colonies. Of these, 37,000,000 would go on October 1, I 960; when Nigeria became independent. There were at the moment 10 full members of the Commonwealth. \ When Nigeria joined them for the first time round the Prime Ministers' conference table, the “pale faces’* would be in a minority as they had long been in the Comtnonwealth itself.