§ 69. Earl WINTERTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether shortly before the War the regular tour of service for Civil Servants in Northern Nigeria was lengthened by the late Governor, Sir Frederick Lugard; whether this alteration caused such a high rate of mortality and sickness that it had to be abandoned; and whether it is intended to repeat this experiment?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYThe Noble Lord is probably referring to the 18 months' tour for political and police officers only which was introduced in Northern Nigeria in 1903 and abandoned in 1907.
Health conditions in West Africa have greatly improved since then, and a Committee which included the recently retired Director of the medical and sanitary ser- 399 vice of Nigeria has unanimously recommended that the normal length of tour should be lengthened and that the rules should be made more elastic so as to enable the length of tour to be varied according to circumstances. It is proposed that existing officers who have been confirmed in their appointments should have the option of coming under the new regulations or remaining under the old.
The report of this Committee is being referred to the West African Governments.