§ Mr. SMEATONasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the remarks contained in Paragraph 30 and the last sentence in Paragraph 32 of the Committee's Report on the Organisation of the Crown Agents' Office, His Majesty's Government regards itself as free from all responsibility in respect of loans arranged by the Crown Agents on behalf of any Crown Colony, or whether, in the last resort, His Majesty's Government guarantees all such loans; and whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to afford to Parliament adequate opportunities of reviewing the operations of the Crown Agents' Office?
§ Colonel SEELYThe Secretary of State is responsible for the administration of the Crown Colonies, and loans cannot be raised by the Crown Agents on behalf of a Colony without his authority. But his responsibility does not extend to guaranteeing such loans. They are raised on the security of the revenues of the Colony concerned, and are not guaranteed by His Majesty's Government except in a few rare instances when such a guarantee has been specially sanctioned by Parliament. It is proposed that in future the accounts of the Crown Agents' Office should be published annually, and the Vote, which includes the Secretary of State's salary will afford an opportunity for calling attention to them.
§ Mr. SMEATONMay I ask whether the Government, although they disclose responsibility for the guarantee, is not responsible for the terms?
§ Colonel SEELYThat is a question of which I would ask for notice.