asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will make a statement on the situation in British Guiana.

Since my statement yesterday I have received reports of some further acts of inter-racial violence. But the situation is generally quiet.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that those of us who are receiving communications from British Guiana have no doubt at all that it is the desire of the overwhelming mass of the people that racial conflict shall end? Is not it the case that if a bitter political controversy recurs, that conflict will also recur? Will the right hon. Gentleman, therefore, again consider the proposal of some Commonwealth Intervention in this matter? Will he consider, for example, a proposal for a Commonwealth committee of conciliation, representative of both India and an African country, which would appeal to the races in this territory and, with the backing of the people who want a settlement of this problem, would provide a constructive way of reaching a solution?

I answered several Questions on that point at Question Time yesterday. I have nothing to add to what I said then.

Is not it the case that the result of the action of the Governor in making some of these arrests is to alter the balance of the parties in the Legislative Assembly? What is the right hon. Gentleman's comment on that situation? How does he think that the Government can carry on? Secondly, will the right hon. Gentleman say again, when he has considered the matter afresh, whether any charges are to be brought against those who have been arrested? Is he aware that if he continues to back actions of this nature whilst rejecting any proposals from any quarter for trying to seek a different constitutional settlement, we can only draw the conclusion that his actions are calculated to cause mischief and damage?

I thought that the last point was a fair retort.

And not a slimy one.

On the question of a Majority in the Legislature, the Governor, naturally, did not choose those people to be detained in the interests of public safety with any regard to what their functions or positions were. He had to deal with a difficult security situation and I do not think that it would have been right for him to treat differently people whom, in the interest of public safety, he considered should be detained, just because they were members of the Legislative Assembly.

I cannot say anything at the moment about the question of charges, but the purpose of these emergency regulations, as in all countries in situations like this, is to enable people to be detained whom it is thought desirable to detain for the sake of public safety. Very often, as the House knows, and I think that I have made this clear before, it is not easy to bring charges against people even when the fullest evidence is available, for the simple reason that, in a country like British Guiana, it is extremely difficult to get witnesses to appear in open court, or even in camera, and to give evidence against somebody when they think that their house may be burned down the next night.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what agreement has now been reached between the major parties for a Coalition Government in British Guiana.

None, Sir.

For a start, should not a word of public thanks be given to Dr. Eric Williams for trying at least to bring the two parties in British Guiana together? Second, was it absolutely clear, before the present state of emergency was declared, that Dr. Williams's attempts had entirely failed to bring the two parties together? Third, what attempts are still going on, despite the emergency, to bring the two parties together for this, the only possible long-term solution for British Guiana?

I have already said in the House how warmly I welcomed Dr. Williams's efforts in trying to bring the parties together. I welcome also the efforts made by Sir Alexander Bustamante and by Mr. Barrow from Barbados. Since Dr. Williams's last effort, Mr. Burnham, in the Legislative Assembly, put forward a proposal for a Coalition Government. This was not accepted by Dr. Jagan, who put forward a counter-proposal, which has not been accepted by Mr. Burnham. That is the position.

Is it not a fact that, after quite long negotiations, first the mission from Ghana, then the continued efforts of Dr. Eric Williams and others, the margin of difference on a proposal for a coalition is now very small indeed and "that, if the right hon. Gentleman and the Government had been exerting their pressure to get an agreement about a coalition, it would not have been necessary to impose the emergency powers?

That is not right—

Yes, it is.

—and it is very unfair.

No, it is not.

I have been doing everything I could for two years now to try to get these people to work together, both at two conferences in London and at meetings which I had myself in Georgetown. Dr. Williams has tried. The West Indian leaders have tried. The Ghanaian good will mission has tried. Every effort has been made. It is no good saying that the differences are very slight. They may be slight. But they are the difference between each one's calculation as to what is in the best interests of his party.