§ 37. Mr. Rileyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in considering the appointment of a comptroller and an inspector-general of agriculture in connection with development work in the West Indies, he will bear in mind the importance of securing, if possible, highly qualified men with a wide experience of West Indian social and economic conditions; and will he bear in mind the desirability, in making the appointments for the comptroller's department, of drawing no distinction between white and coloured candidates where qualifications are equally satisfactory?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe hon. Member may be assured that the considerations which he mentions will be taken into account in making selections for these posts.
§ Mr. RileyMay I ask whether the representative council of the West Indies will be consulted, or will information be 2054 sought from them, in regard to the appointment of a comptroller and an inspector-general before an appointment is made, and, further, whether coloured as well as white people will be eligible for these positions?
Mr. MacDonaldThe answer to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative. With regard to the first part, I do not think there will be any formal consultation, though I would not rule out the possibility of informal consultation.