HC Deb 18 June 1913 vol 54 c361
11. Mr. MACKINDER

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the success of the American sanitary precautions in the Panama Canal zone, he will state what sum is annually spent in the Crown Colonies and Dependencies on the prevention of tropical diseases?

The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)

I would refer the hon. Member to Appendix I. of the Report of the Advisory Committee of the Tropical Diseases Research Fund for the year 1912, Cd. 6669, which contains information in regard to the medical and sanitary expenditure of certain of the Colonies which do not possess responsible Government and certain Protectorates. There is, of course, a large annual expenditure upon public works, etc., which is indirectly concerned with tropical disease; but in view of the difficulty of deciding what proportion of such expenditure should' be regarded as expenditure for the prevention of tropical disease, it is impossible to furnish a complete answer to the hon. Member's inquiry.