HC Deb 18 February 1941 vol 369 cc54-60

Motion made, and Question proposed, That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £ 691,500, be granted to His Majesty to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March,1941, for sundry Colonial and Middle Eastern services under His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, including certain non-effective services and grants-in-aid.

Mr. Ammon

I know that there are some things in this Vote which one cannot ask the Minister to deal with in a public statement. As regards the expenditure in respect of Palestine and Trans-Jordan, I presume one would be right in saying that this more or less arises out of what occurred when the former Secretary of State for War, now Foreign Secretary, paid a visit to the Near East, and that it is mainly concerned with matters of defence in those countries. As I say, I do not press my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for the Colonies to give any details of this expenditure, but I think the Committee would like to have some general assurance concerning it. The item in relation to Malta is, I presume, also related to defence, and it would not be out of place on this occasion if we were to express not only our sympathy with the people of Malta but our admiration for the manner in which they have stood up to recent attacks. Anyone who has visited Malta as I have done once or twice can understand the severity of the test to which the people there have been subjected. Therefore there will not be any criticism, I am sure, of any action taken by the Government with a view to placing them in a better position of defence. I would like to give my hon. Friend an opportunity of affording the Committee as full information as is possible with regard to these matters. As I have said, on an occasion like this we are of necessity passing Votes involving millions of pounds without very much explanation. We realise that in the present situation that is unavoidable; but at the same time I think the Committee would desire to get the fullest information possible on this expenditure.

Mr. Creech Jones

With regard to British Honduras, I should like to know whether the additional sum required by this Vote represents the completion of the programme which the Colonial Office had in mind some years ago. We are all conscious that very little progress has been made in the material development of this Colony. Having regard to its possibilities we are anxious that everything possible should be done to assist its economic development. Perhaps my hon. Friend when he replies will let us know whether the grant which is now to be made disposes of the whole programme or whether, under any other arrangements, there will be any further large development in this area. With regard to St. Helena, we are asked to vote a sum of £ 7,000 as an addition to the original Estimate. Many of us are much concerned about the position in that island. A great deal of publicity has been given to the existence of intense poverty and to the lack of means in the Colony to push on with any forward programme. From time to time, schemes of land settlement and of new subsidiary industries have been discussed. I would like an assurance that substantial progress is now being made; that some, at any rate, of the schemes into which the Colonial Office has inquired from time to time are now being applied, and that the programme launched a few months ago is well under way.

Mr. Price (Forest of Dean)

I also wish to raise a point in connection with the item in respect of British Honduras. This concerns an additional grant for road development. I think it well on an occasion like this to call attention to the importance of internal development in a Colony like British Honduras. One of the great difficulties at the present time in such Colonies is that they have lost their oversea market and are, in some cases, depending entirely on one or two main exports which are affected by the war. It is essential, therefore, that there should be a far greater dependence on their own agriculture and that they should become more self-supporting.

The Chairman

I fear the hon. Member forgets that this is a Supplementary Estimate for a small addition to the original Estimate, in respect of a specific service, and does not afford any basis for discussing general administration.

Mr. Price

I had not intended to develop that line very far. I merely wished to express the hope, as this Vote concerns road construction and as road construction is an important aspect of internal development, that the Government are seeing to it, that such development will be continued.

The Chairman

I am afraid the hon. Member cannot even go as far as that on this Vote. This concerns a small increase in a particular expenditure, namely, that on roads. We cannot even discuss the general policy of the road grant, but must confine ourselves to this small increase.

Mr. Price

I then content myself with expressing a hope that this will not be the last grant in connection with this matter.

Sir P. Hannon

I wish to supplement what has been said by the hon. Member for Shipley (Mr. Creech Jones) about St. Helena. I hope that this additional sum of £ 7,000 is to be employed for the general purposes of the programme, laid down some years ago, of help to be applied to this island. When I was there, housing conditions were being greatly improved, but the whole social and economic structure of the island was not in the past in a very happy position. The introduction of new works in relation to agriculture and so forth was, however, in progress and the Governor and his staff were devoting themselves with great energy to improving the economic condition of the island. I would like an assurance that the programme which was launched with so much hope to improve the conditions of the islanders is being carried out, systematically and successfully. With regard to Antigua, 1 hope the hon. Gentleman will be able to tell us in what respect the additional £ 10,000 is to be expended. When I was there very considerable embarrassment was felt about the sugar situation, although a great deal of work was being carried out for the improvement of conditions in the island. Now there is to be established, in collaboration with the United States, a base. I would like to know whether this £ 10,000 is to be employed to help the poorer section of the inhabitants of Antigua in the introduction of new crops and improvement of their conditions and to help forward the experimental work which was introduced by the late Governor.

Mr. Ammon

There are two points which I had intended to raise but had overlooked. One has been raised by the hon. Member who has just sat down, and it is with regard to the Vote for Antigua. Does that arise out of a Royal Commission, or is it merely in connection with the preparation of an American base? I think the Committee is entitled to know whether we are starting to do some work in Antigua as suggested in the report itself. At the bottom of page 7 of the report there is a note indicating that the expenditure of the Minister will be removed from the purview of the Comptroller and Auditor-General and passed in the balance-sheet earlier on. It appears to me that that means that the House will lose a certain amount of control or supervision over the money concerned. With regard to the Vote of 200,000 in connection with Palestine and Trans-Jordan, that looks nothing more than a book transaction. The Colony, it seems, will pay if they can, but if they cannot, it will simply come on the whole Imperial Exchequer.

The Chairman

The hon. Member has asked a question to which I cannot allow an answer.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. George Hall)

My hon. Friend who opened the Debate on these Estimates asked, in connection with the Vote for Palestine and Trans-Jordan, whether that was for defence. The full amount both for Palestine and Trans-Jordan is for defensive purposes. He also asked whether it was a book transaction. He will see in the Estimates the basis on which the Colonial Office makes payment to the War Office and Air Ministry in respect of the forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan. Palestine is in principle liable for a proportion of the costs, specified under D I., payment of which is determined by the Palestine Government's ability to pay. Under this arrangement it is not proposed to call upon the Palestine Government to make any contribution at all during 1940. As a matter of fact, no contribution was made during 1939. This additional sum now required by the Air Ministry is confined to £ 20,000 and is in respect of recurrent expenditure due to increased personnel and additional charges for transport, occasioned by general circumstances in the Mediterranean. One-half of that amount is arbitrarily considered to relate to the defence of Palestine and the other half to the Trans-Jordan. The other £ 180,000 is in respect of works services. I hope that I shall not be pressed for information about other items, because they are for defensive purposes.

My hon. Friend also referred to Malta, and, as is shown in the Estimates, Malta is asking for a very substantial sum. This Supplementary Estimate provides that £ 1,000,000 shall be spent, and it represents a grant-in-aid to Malta. Most of this sum is required to assist their Government and people to organise measures of protection for the population against the type of modern warfare with which we are, unfortunately, so familiar in this country. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that the trade and revenue of Malta should decline. Every effort is being made to secure many practical economies, and certain increases in taxation have been imposed, which should amount to £ 200,000 in a full year. Notwithstanding this, under the siege conditions prevailing there, the revenue will fall short of expenditure in by the £ 1,000,000 for which we are asking. My hon. Friend also referred to the courageous stand made by the Maltese at the present time. Hon. Members have seen from the Press that Malta has suffered over 300 air raids. The people of that Colony, like the people of this country, stand in the immediate path of the Axis Powers, and Malta has suffered, since Italy entered the war, the full fury of the Italian, and some German, attacks. However, the fortitude, endurance and determination of the Maltese people in face of these attacks have matched the qualities of our own people in this country and are in accordance with their own splendid traditions. Confident in the British Navy, Air Force and the military garrison in which the youth of Malta themselves are playing their full part, their people stand firmly behind the Government. Under the experienced and splendid leader, General Dobbie, they have endured hardships and are fully united in their determination to wage war with us until victory is assured. I am glad to have this opportunity of expressing today our admiration for the magnificent spirit with which the Maltese are facing their task and our complete confidence in their ability to meet every emergency they will be called upon to meet.

My hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Creech Jones) raised the question of St. Helena, which was also raised by my hon. Friend the Member for the Moseley Division of Birmingham (Sir P. Hannon). The amount asked for in the Supplementary Estimate is for the purpose of continuing the improvements which both my hon. Friends have so much in mind, and I am pleased to record that in housing, settlement, agriculture and education progress is being made. During 1940 seven houses were built, and there were five under construction. We hope that more will be available. The amount of money asked for is for the purpose of paying the income of a qualified engineer who is proceeding with this work. Two thousand pounds is the increase in the floating cash balance owing to increased transactions.

Sir P. Hannon

Are we to understand that during the whole of 1940 only seven houses were built and that five more are in process of erection? Is that the whole of the building programme for two years?

Mr. Hall

That is the position as far as1940 is concerned. As the hon. Member knows, the island is a very small one. Conditions were bad, there was no public works department, and an organisation had to be built up. We hope that progress will now be made to complete the whole scheme.

Sir P. Hannon

House building has been going on for several years in St. Helena. The late Governor took a very active interest in it, and personally assisted in the designing and planning of the houses.

Mr. Hall

I am dealing only with 1940. With regard to the road in British Honduras, it is now completed, and the money asked for in the Supplementary Estimate is the only amount that is left outstanding. We trust that the road will be opened soon and that it will open up industry in that part of the country. As to the Supplementary Estimate in respect of Antigua, the money is not required for any scheme based on the recommendations of the Royal Commission. The Welfare Controller and the members of the welfare inquiry are at present in the West Indies, and we hope that as a result of their visit recommendations will be forthcoming soon. A question has been asked about the amount of £ 10,000 to be spent in Antigua. The trouble here is that no estimates have been received, and no figures are yet available, to show the actual outgoings in 1940. We can only estimate the probable financial position. In June of last year, the Governor reported that the Presidency's finances were very much worse than was anticipated when the estimates for 1940 were framed. It was estimated that there would be a deficiency of approximately £ 28,000. We are providing in the Supplementary Estimate £ 10,000 of the £ 28,000, and the remainder will be provided for in the 1941 Estimates.

Sir P. Hannon

Are we to understand that this is a contribution towards the restoration of the financial stability of the island, and not for the economic development of the island?

Mr. Hall

That is so. It is to meet part of the expenditure incurred by the Colony for the purpose of economic development. Antigua has had rather a serious time. The depression in the sugar industry set in during 1930, and in addition, there was a severe drought in 1940. Both these things have had a very serious effect upon the economic life of the Colony. The amount of money here provided will assist in some restoration of the Colony's economic life.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding 691,500, be granted to His Majesty, to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1941, for sundry Colonial an Middle Eastern Services under His majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, including certain non-effective services and grants in aid.