§ 23. Sir P. Macdonaldasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that maps are essential for the development of the food and mineral resources of the Colonies; and whether he will consider employing British air survey companies in order to reduce the period of 10 years required for the completion of the colonial mapping programme.
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsMy right hon. Friend is fully aware of the importance of maps for the purposes mentioned. He has already received a memorandum from the British air survey companies which is under examination.
§ Sir P. MacdonaldIs the hon. Gentleman aware that these British survey companies employ 45 aircraft and over 1,000 people? Why should they not be employed by this Government when they are employed by the Governments of Canada, India and Australia?
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsThe main reason is that we prefer, if possible, to employ the R.A.F. It is much cheaper. It is good 368 training for the Air Force, and they are used to the particular class of work which is requited for the survey.
§ Sir P. MacdonaldIn view of the very limited amount of survey work which they can do, will the Under-Secretary see that any work above the capacity of the R.A.F. is put in the hands of British scientists and not American scientists?
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsThe hon. Member will see from the reply to a question which will appear in HANSARD tomorrow—I am not quite sure whether the hon. Member was here or not—that actually the amount photographed is much greater than that which it has been possible to map. The delay, where there is delay—and there really is not a delay in this matter—is on the mapping side rather than the hotographing side.
§ Mr. DribergCould my hon. Friend say whether there is any new policy in this matter, or are the Government simply continuing the practice which has always obtained?
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsWe are continuing the practice laid down by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Bristol (Mr. Stanley).
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIs it not a fact that the air survey companies also have mapping facilities and that they could help to remedy this bottleneck?
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsThat is not the opinion of the Director of Colonial Surveys, Brigadier Hotine, who would rather have the whole thing under his control.
§ 24. Sir P. Macdonaldasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the geological survey of the Colonies is being delayed owing to the slow delivery of maps.
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsI do not agree that geological surveys are being delayed by shortage of maps. All geologists appointed to date are fully employed.
§ 27. Mr. Keelingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many square miles of territory in the Colonies have been mapped during the last two years; and what proportion this is of the area photographed by the R.A.F.
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsAbout 380,000 square miles have been photographed and maps covering 25,000 square miles 369 at various scales have been printed and published. Another 25,000 square miles have been mapped and are awaiting publication. Fifty-seven thousand square miles are at an advanced stage of compilation. The total amounts to about 30 per cent. of the area so far photographed.
§ 28. Mr. Lennox-Boydasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether in view of the Report of the Evans Commission that topographical maps are urgently required in British Guiana, he will review his programme for meeting the immediate survey requirements in that Colony.
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsYes, Sir.