§ 15. Mr. Keelingasked the Minister of Transport how many officials, business men and missionaries, respectively, including members of their families, are awaiting sea passages to West Africa; and how long those at the head of each list have been waiting.
§ Mr. BarnesThere are 1,630 men, women and children awaiting passage to West Africa, of whom 904 are classified as official and 605 as commercial passen- 590 gers, and 121 as missionaries. In the official and commercial lists the longest wait has been since October, 1946, and among the missionaries since August, 1946.
§ Mr. KeelingWhat about business men?
§ Mr. BarnesThey do very well
§ Mr. KeelingDo the figures show that the fifty-fifty division between officials, on the one hand, and business men and missionaries, on the other, needs adjusting, or is it absolutely fair?
§ Mr. BarnesOne is always prepared to look into matters of this description and to adjust them according to varying circumstances when we are supplying civilian transport. In relation to the rest of the demand on shipping, I do not think that this particular route suffers unduly.
§ Mr. ErrollDoes not the Minister think that, for once, hard working British officials in West Africa should have some slight priority for their wives and families to go out there?
§ Mr. BarnesWe are indeed very anxious to meet that but, when the accommodation is so strictly limited, they cannot possibly have priority.
§ Mr. Hector HughesCan the Minister say how long these people on the waiting list are likely to remain waiting, and what steps are being taken to increase the amount of transport available so that they may be taken off the waiting list and given passage?
§ Mr. BarnesWe increase the facilities whenever possible but the demand rather tends to grow instead of lessen.