ABSTRACT
On 31 July 1946 the House of Commons heard about the Provincial Autonomy Plan for the first time.1 Since the White Paper of 1939, this was the f irst attempt of HMG to offer a comprehensive scheme for Palestine. The scheme envisaged the division of Palestine into four areas: an Arab province, a Jewish province, the district of Jerusalem and the district of the Negev. The population of these areas at the time was as follows:
Arabs Jews
Arab province 815,000 15,000 Jewish province 301,000 451,000 Jerusalem district 96,000 102,000 Negev district – –
The provincial governments would have the power of legislation and administration in municipal and village administration, agriculture, fisheries, forests, land sales and settlement, education, public health and other social services, trade, industry, irrigation, development and public works. They would also have the power to limit the number and determine the qualifications of persons taking up permanent residence in their territories, but they would not be allowed to impede free interterritorial transit, trade or commerce. They could levy taxes, borrow within the province, and, with the consent of the Central Government, borrow abroad.
