§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON (Lanark, N.W.)I beg to ask the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether His Majesty's Government have yet decided as to the continuance of the Imperial Department of Agriculture in the British West Indies; and whether representations have been received as to the importance of the continuation of the work of the Department.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe continuance of a grant from Imperial Funds in aid of the Imperial Department of Agriculture in the West Indies has now been guaranteed by His Majesty's Government for a period of five years from the 1st of April, 1908. The sum provided during the first of the five years will be £14,420, 1051 and the annual provisions will be progressively diminished so as to reduce the contribution to £7,000 in the last of the live years. From the 1st of April, 1907, the expenditure of the Department will be curtailed so far as the Commissioner of Agriculture finds reasonably possible, and the Commissioner will, with the Secretary of State's approval, endeavour to obtain progressively increasing contributions towards the cost of local agricultural institutions from such colonies as may be able to afford them. Representations as to the importance of the continuance of the work of the Department have been received by the Secretary of State.