HC Deb 16 November 1938 vol 341 cc862-3
39. Mr. David Adams

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what specific administrative steps have been taken in the West Indies following the outbreaks, to improve the economic conditions of the workers and to raise the standards of living generally in the respective Islands?

Mr. M. MacDonald

As the answer is necessarily long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

It would be difficult to give a full reply to this question within the limits of a Parliamentary Answer. I may, however, refer to the fact that my Labour Adviser is now touring the West Indies, and that progress is being made with the appointment of Labour Officers and the provision of machinery for dealing with labour problems in the Colonies in that area. An Arbitration Tribunal has been appointed by the Governor of Trinidad under recently enacted local legislation to arbitrate on certain matters affecting wage rates in the oil industry, whilst in Jamaica a Conciliation Board was appointed in May of this year. This board has rendered valuable service as an intermediary between employers and employed, and various wage increases have been given.

In Trinidad an increase of the subsidy to the cocoa interest has been given in 1938. The Governor is now bringing forward proposals for an extensive programme of expenditure which is expected to cover slum clearance, housing, hospital and school buildings and other measures of public benefit and to provide employment. In Jamaica work is continuing on the programme of the £2,000,000 loan details of which were given in my reply to the hon. Member on 18th May. In addition, legislation has been enacted to enable a loan of approximately £780,000 to be raised for the extension of land settlement and other purposes. In British Guiana an inquiry has recently been made into the question of improving the efficiency of the mills in the rice industry, and other problems connected with that industry are under consideration. The report on this inquiry, which was carried out by an officer with extensive experience of the rice industry in Malaya, is now awaited. In this Colony also increases of pay have been approved for employés in the lowest grades of the public services, and increased expenditure on public works has been sanctioned, partly with the object of relieving unemployment.