Executive Council other than the Chief Secretary and the Attorney-General shall he appointed by the High Commissioner after consultation with the Chief Minister.
64. We have also agreed on the following ministerial changes:-
- (i) There will be an unofficial appointed as Minister of Finance and the Financial Secretary will cease to be a member of the Executive and Legislative Councils. There will be an additional Nominated Member to take the place of the Financial Secretary in the Legislative Council, thus increasing the number of Nominated Members from seven to eight, on the understanding that the additional seat will be used for the same purpose and appointment to it made in the same manner as apply to the other Nominated Members.
- (ii) There will be a Minister for Commerce and Industry, who will be an unofficial, unless the Chief Minister should wish the post to be filled by an official, and he will take the place of the Minister for Economic Affairs.
- (iii) An unofficial Minister for Internal Defence and Security will become responsible for these matters in Executive and Legislative Councils and the Secretary for Defence will cease to be a member of either Council.
65.The Chief Secretary will be responsible for matters relating to the public service, for the administrative work involved in the constitutional changes which will be taking place and for external affairs.
66. Any Executive Council Papers on external defence will be submitted by the High Commissioner, who will have a senior official to work to him on that subject. The Chief Secretary will speak in the Legislative Council on external defence and will be a member of the External Defence Committee.
67.For the sake of greater flexibility in forming the Executive Council, the minimum number of Appointed Members will be altered from 12 to 10.
68.As a result of the changes recomended above Clauses 23 and 36 of the Federation Agreement will need to be amended. These amendments, together with others consequential changes in Parts III and IV of the Federation Agreement, are also set out in Appendix E.
69. We have considered the timing of these changes and have agreed that, where no amendment of the Federation Agreement or other legislation is required, they should be made as soon as possible after our recommendations have been approved by Her Majesty's Government and the Conference of Rulers. We also agree that the proposed changes in the Executive Council and Legislative Council should be made as soon as the Federation Agreement can be amended to permit of them. Until these amendments have been made the composition of these Councils will remain unaltered,
70.The Conference considered the request of withdrawal of the British Advisers. It was explained that the collective view of Their Highnesses the Rulers that Advisers should be withdrawn. Her Majesty's Government do not wish to oppose this view
71.We have agreed in principle that, subject to the concurrence of Their Highnesses the Rulers, the British Advisers will be withdrawn. This will involve amendment of the State Agreements, and consequential amendments to the State Constitutions and the Federation Agreement. Subject to the agreement of the Rulers it is desirable that all the State Agreements shall be amended at the same time, but provision will be made to enable the amendments to come into force on different dates.
