§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state what subsidy His Majesty's Government has given to the Uganda Protectorate for the construction of the Jinja-Kakindu Railway; whether he is aware of the fact that for fourteen miles this railway is planned to pass through a district which is infested with tsetse fly and in which the plague of sleeping sickness prevails; and whether the Government have taken any, and, if so, what steps to ascertain the views of the medical officers of Uganda, and of the officers in charge of the Sleeping Sickness Commission in Uganda, as to the adoption of the route through the plague infected area?
§ The SECRETARY OF STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)The sum provided by His Majesty's Government for the construction of the Jinja-Kakindu Railway is £180,000. With regard to the second part of the hon. Member's question, I understand that the line is being 1131 carried higher in the hills for the express purpose of avoiding fly-infested areas in a sleeping sickness belt.
§ Mr. SCANLANMay I ask if the medical officers in Uganda, and especially the medical officers in charge of the Sleeping Sickness Commission have been consulted on this matter?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI could not give details as to whether they have been consulted or not, but if the hon. Member puts a question down I hope I will be able to give him the information.