§ 39. Mr. Bartlettasked the Secretary of Slate for the Colonies whether he can give any information as to the respective military strengths of the one company of the Royal West African Frontier Force and of the German catapult ship stationed at Bathurst, Gambia; and will he, in view of the great strategic importance of that Colony, consider the advisability of reinforcing the British garrison there?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe German personnel of the catapult ship according to recent information totals 37, the shore staff seven, and the stand-by aircraft crew five. These are not military forces. The strength of the garrison at Bathurst, which is at present three officers and 100 other ranks, is a matter which comes periodically under review with that of other garrisons in West Africa.
§ 31. Mr. Garro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the great potentialities of the Colony of Gambia are at present circum scribed by the production of the single crop of groundnuts; and whether the Government will give their attention to the development of this Colony on more enterprising lines?
Mr. MacDonaldI am aware that the only significant export crop of the Gambia is groundnuts, which is the most suitable cash crop for this Dependency, but a variety of other products is produced for internal consumption. I am always ready to consider suggestions for other forms of production for export.
§ Mr. Garro JonesIs the right hon. Gentleman taking any initiative to deal with the depression in this Colony?
Mr. MacDonaldThe matter has been under review by the Colonial Marketing Board, but beyond that there are no useful steps that we can contemplate at the present time.
§ Mr. R. GibsonIn neighbouring lands are not rubber and coconuts for copra being produced on an economic scale?
§ 32. Mr. Garro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether in view of the concern of the heads of the medical and health services in Gambia 1278 regarding the state of public health, as stated by the Governor in a recent speech, any steps are in view to improve the position?
Mr. MacDonaldThe hon. Member will recollect that in the same speech to which he refers the Governor stated that, though much remains to be done, medical and health services have, in the past year, been maintained with very satisfactory results. The difficulty is to find the means to finance any considerable further development. Despite financial stringency, a larger provision than has ever been made before, amounting to nearly 20 per cent. of the total estimated revenue of the dependency, has been made in the Estimates for the current year.
§ Mr. Garro JonesIs not this Colony in an almost perpetual state of financial stringency, and if the right hon. Gentleman is not prepared to take some more enterprising action to develop its resources will it now fall into an ever-increasing state of depression?
Mr. MacDonaldI have given a good deal of thought to this matter. If the hon. Gentleman can suggest any other efforts that we have not considered I shall be very glad to consider them.