§ 42. Mr. Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken to implement the various proposals made by Mr. J. S. Neill and Dr. Duncan Cook in their recent report on Pitcairn Island, particularly with reference to the appointment of a qualified schoolmaster and nurse, and the raising of revenue to provide grants for this and other purposes?
Mr. M. MacDonaldAs the answer is necessarily rather long I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ Arrangements have been made by the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, at the suggestion of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, for a qualified teacher to take up residence on Pitcairn Island, with his wife, and to take charge of the school there. Designs for an issue of Pitcairn Island stamps are now under consideration and it is hoped that the issue will be ready in the summer of 1939. A small landing tax for all visitors to the 408 island will also be instituted. The revenue from these sources will be paid into a deposit account and will be used for financing such of the various other proposals submitted by Mr. Neill and Dr. Cook as are found to be practicable. Among these, first importance is attached to the training of a local girl as a public health nurse and the arrangement of regular visits of inspection by officers of the Fiji or Western Pacific High Commission services. A King's Regulation was recently enacted giving power to the High Commissioner to control immigration by permit. The necessity for the provision of an improved wireless set, which was among Mr. Neill's proposals, no longer arises since a modern transmitting and receiving set was recently presented to the High Commissioner from an American source and accepted by him on behalf of the Pitcairnese. This set is now in operation. The High Commissioner has reported that local arrangements are being made to give effect to the other less important recommendations made by Mr. Neill.