§ MR. COURTHOPEI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government, in order to encourage the cultivation of cotton in British East Africa, has granted a subsidy and given special facilities to any company which is also engaged in other trades and industries than the cultivation of cotton; and whether the Government will in future make it a condition of any similar grant to any person or company that such person or company is engaged in no trade or industry other than that in respect of which the grant is made.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe Government has agreed to pay £1,000 a year for three years from the funds of the East Africa Protectorate towards the cost of the experimental work in connection with cotton growing to be undertaken by the British Cotton Growing Association provided that the association spend at least an equal amount from their own funds upon experimental work—making not less than £2,000 a year in all. The association are co-operating in the matter of growing cotton with a company called the British East Africa Corporation Limited, but no subsidy or special facilities have been or will be granted by the Government to the company, and payment of the contribution to the association will only be made upon proof that at least twice the amount of the contribution has been bona fide expended upon experimental work.
§ MR. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, Mansfield)asked whether, before any subsidies were granted, a railway in Northern Nigeria would be considered by His Majesty's Government.
§ MR. CHURCHILLWe are considering the question of a railway in Northern Nigeria, but we are also facilitating the work of the British Cotton-Growing Association in developing the sources of the cotton supply in different parts.
§ MR. MARKHAMasked whether it was not the fact that cotton was not 216 indigenous in any part except Northern Nigeria.
§ MR. CHURCHILLwas understood to say that the cotton in East Africa and Uganda was very good.