I see that my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Kirkdale (Mr. N. Pannell) has called this debate"The Gambia Constitution"; and in view of this, although it has no connection whatever with the points that he has raised, I would like, first, to take this opportunity of informing the House—because I do not think that it has appeared in the British newspapers—of an announcement made by the Governor of the Gambia in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, that important constitutional changes will shortly take place in the Colony.

The Governor has, in fact, announced that the Secretary of State has agreed to grant full internal self-government to the Gambia, and that an Order in Council will be submitted to Her Majesty later this year. I thought that it might be of interest to the House if I drew attention to that point.