§ 21. Lieut.-Colonel McDONNELLasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many officers will be required annually during the next three years to fill positions on the agricultural staffs of the Crown Colonies and Protectorates; and how many graduates from the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad will be available for this purpose?
§ Mr. AMERYIt is not possible to forecast with certainty the demands of the Colonies and Protectorates for agricultural officers, since such demands necessarily vary from year to year. A scheme has been introduced this year, with the co-operation and support of the Colonial Governments, under which from 16 to 18 post-graduate scholarships in agriculture and agricultural science will be offered annually for 10 years. The holders of these scholarships will receive, inter alia, a course of instruction in tropical agriculture, in most cases at the Imperial College in Trinidad, after which they will be available, if required, for service in the Colonial Agricultural Departments. The first selection of scholars took place this summer; 16 scholars were selected, of whom 14 were given two-year scholarships and two one-year scholarships, and it is intended that only the minimum number of appointments compatible with the exigencies of the public service should be filled in the interval before the scholars already selected become available for duty.
§ Lieut.-Colonel McDONNELLWill the supply of duly qualified officers be sufficient to meet the demand?