Oral Answers to Questions — Southern Rhodesia – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 April 1964.
Mr Fenner Brockway
, Eton and Slough
12:00,
28 April 1964
asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what reply has been sent to the communication of the Governor of Southern Rhodesia forwarding to him the resolution of the Legislature of that Territory seeking to petition Her Majesty to remove from Her Majesty's Government all discretionary powers in the Southern Rhodesia Constitution.
Mrs Barbara Castle
, Blackburn
asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what reply he has sent to the petition agreed to by the Southern Rhodesian legislature on 23rd March, calling for an Amendment to section 3 of the Southern Rhodesian Constitution of 1961, which has been sent to him.
Mr Duncan Sandys
, Wandsworth Streatham
The petition has not as yet been forwarded to us.
Mr Fenner Brockway
, Eton and Slough
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the petition was endorsed by a Majority in the Legislature and that it asks Her Majesty to remove from Her Majesty's Government their discretionary powers in Southern Rhodesia? Since the terms of the petition are known, will he give an assurance that, when it is received, Her Majesty's Government will not withdraw their powers in Southern Rhodesia until a majority of the people there have the right to elect the Government of Southern Rhodesia?
Mr Duncan Sandys
, Wandsworth Streatham
I am certainly not going to comment on a petition to the Queen which has not been received.
Mrs Barbara Castle
, Blackburn
We have all read full details of the petition. Is this not a very curious and oblique way of gaining a recognition of independence? Will the right hon. Gentleman seize the opportunity, here in this House today, to warn the Europeans in Southern Rhodesia that Her Majesty's Government will under no circumstances grant independence to Southern Rhodesia until the Majority of its people are exercising full democratic rights?
Mr Duncan Sandys
, Wandsworth Streatham
Personally, I am very glad that we have not yet received it; but if the hon. Lady asks many more supplementary questions, I have no doubt that it will be in the next post.
Mr Arthur Bottomley
, Middlesbrough East
Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that a Motion dealing with the subject has been passed in the House? If he is aware of that, is he not in a position to say that he will not agree to the Amendment to Section 3 of the Constitution? As the assurance has been given before, what harm is there in repeating it now?
Mr Duncan Sandys
, Wandsworth Streatham
It would be quite improper for me to comment on a resolution passed by the Assembly of Southern Rhodesia before the Governor had taken steps to send it on to us. We had far better be thankful that this resolution has not bean forwarded to us.
Sir Raymond Gower
, Barry
With reference to the suggestion that we should warn the people of Southern Rhodesia, is it not time that we started to speak in kinder terms, of the people of Southern Rhodesia who, 20 years ago, came to our aid when we were in a desperate plight?
Mr Duncan Sandys
, Wandsworth Streatham
I am sure that we all recognise the part which Southern Rhodesia has played in the past, in two world wars and many other ways.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
