§ 74. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how the estimate of £3,000,000 for the Zambesi bridge has been arrived at; what are the main items of expenditure; what is the estimated revenue to be derived; and when the bridge will be constructed?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Dr. Drummond Shiels)I would refer the right hon. Member to the Stationery Office publication Colonial No. 27 and to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Southwark on the second of this month. Construction work on the approaches has been begun.
§ Mr. LAMBERTCan the hon. Gentleman tell me on whose authority this estimate of £3,000,000 has been arrived at? Is it contained in the publication to which he has referred?
§ Dr. SHIELSFull particulars are to be obtained in that publication. As a matter of fact, this subject has been very carefully investigated, first by the East Africa Loan Committee, and, secondly, by the Colonial Development Fund Advisory Committee, and all the estimates have been most carefully thought out.
§ Mr. LAMBERTCan the hon. Gentleman say what firm of engineers is responsible for this estimate?
§ Dr. SHIELSNo, Sir, I cannot say.
§ Captain CAZALETHow much of this 13,000,000 will be spent in this country?
§ Dr. SHIELSI think I have already given the figures. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman looks into the matter, I think he will find that they have been given.
§ 75. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the Nyasaland Government has undertaken the responsibility of financing £2,500,000 for the Zambesi bridge, he will say what was the estimated expenditure and revenue of Nyasaland for the latest available year?
§ Dr. SHIELSFor 1930 the revenue and expenditure apart from loans are estimated at £409,614 and £430,657 respectively.
§ 77. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies when it is proposed to issue the guaranteed loan of £3,000,000 for the Zambesi bridge; and whether he will withhold a guarantee an behalf of the Treasury until Parliament has had an opportunity of expressing its opinion on this project?
§ Dr. SHIELSI cannot at present give a date for the issue of the loan. Under the authority given by the Palestine and East Africa Loans Act, the Treasury have already undertaken to guarantee the loan for the bridge and the connected schemes, thus enabling agreements to be concluded with the companies concerned and the work of construction on the approaches to be begun.
§ Mr. LAMBERTMay I have an answer to the last part of my question, as to whether the House will be consulted before this loan is issued?
§ Dr. SHIELSIf I may say so with respect, the right hon. Gentleman is very late in his attention to this matter. It has been before the House on several occasions, and the figures have been fully gone into more than once.