§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If he can state briefly, regarding Malta and the chief reforms recommended there by Mr. Rowsell, Sir Penrose Julyan, and Mr. Keenan, some of which reforms seemed on the point of being entered upon by Her Majesty's late Government, which of them are to be carried out by Her Majesty's present Government; and, in particular, if the Maltese people are soon to be enfranchised, by abolishing the foreign language test that now bars them from the suffrage; if the present severe tax on the food of the people is to be done away with or reduced; and, what is to be done to give English speaking and writing the preference over Italian in a British Colony?
MR. GRANT DUFFSir, first, I may say generally that Her Majesty's Government agree, to a great extent, with the views which have been put forward by the three gentlemen mentioned in the Question, and which are, I believe, substantially those of my hon. Friend. Of the specific recommendations made by Sir Penrose Julyan several have already been carried into effect. For instance, the Public Works Department has been made a separate department, the Department of the Receiver General has been constituted so as to absorb the Treasury and part of the Land Revenue Department, and a Contract Committee has been established. Other proposals of Sir Penrose Julyan are still under consideration. Secondly, a Bill for the reduction by one-half of the quite indefensible wheat tax, so justly objected to by my hon. Friend the Member for Rochdale (Mr. T. B. Potter) and others, will, I expect, be proposed during the present Session of the Council. Thirdly, a Commission has been appointed, under the presidency of Mr. Savona, to examine and report as to the adoption of Mr. Keenan's proposals with regard to the 627 re-organization of the University; and the Local Government hopes, before the Session of the Council is over, to lay before it a measure founded upon the Report of that Commission. With regard to the English language, it is, of course, well known to all interested in Malta that hitherto the English language has been too little encouraged there, and it is now intended further to encourage it. If the Maltese are to have a fair chance of success in life, that must be done, and already the use of English is enforced in all Departments of the State except the Judicial Department. With regard to the language test respecting which my hon. Friend has asked, I am not aware that any complaint has ever been made of that test by the Maltese people; but if any demand were to arise for its abolition, I must say I cannot see how any reasonable objection could be made to it.