HC Deb 04 March 1925 vol 181 cc413-4
29. Mr. DUFF COOPER

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a contribution has been offered by Hong Kong towards the cost of the Singapore base and accepted by His Majesty's Government.; if so, he state the amount of the contribution; and whether the offer of land previously made by the Straits Settlements still holds good?

The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Amery)

My right hon. Friend has asked me to take this question. The answer is in the affirmative. Hong Kong has generously offered for this purpose a gift of £250,000, representing the profits made by the Colony out of the local scheme of shipping control during the War. This gift has been most gratefully accepted by His Majesty's Government. The generous offer of the Straits Settlements to provide the necessary land still holds good. The site has been acquired at a cost of one and a quarter million dollars (2146,000), and will be handed over as required.

Mr. AMMON

Does the offer from Australia. and New Zealand still hold good?

Mr. AMERY

That does not seem to me to arise out of the question on the Paper.

Mr. JOHNSTON

Does the right hon. Gentleman think it right and fair that a profit made out of a scheme of State Socialism such as this should be handed over for the building of a new naval base?