HC Deb 03 May 1905 vol 145 cc817-8
MASTER OF ELIBANK (Edinburgh, Midlothian)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state in detail the amount of the annual subsidies paid to the Royal Mail Steamship Company by the Governments of the West Indies and British Guiana respectively, and also whether he will state whether any of these Governments approves the new contracts with the Elder, Dempster Line; and, if so, which Government; and whether such approval was carried by the nominated official vote, acting under instructions.

(Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.)The annual contributions at present made by the Colonial Governments to the subsidy paid by His Majesty's Govern ment to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company are as follows—

£
Trinidad (including a special contribution of £5,000 paid to the company for placing the colony on their main line) 9,600
British Guiana 4,200
Barbados 4,000
Jamaica 2,100
Grenada 1,000
St. Lucia 1,000
Antigua 1,000
St. Vincent 450
Dominica 450
St. Kitts-Nevis 550
Montserrat 200
Virgin Islands 50
I am not at present in a position to answer the remainder of the hon. Member's Question.