§ 57. Mr. A. Edward Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what special steps are being taken to fill the large number of vacancies in the Colonial Service, and particularly in East and West Africa.
Mr. Creech JonesThe main shortages are in those professional and technical services where demand in this country is also unsatisfied. Improved salaries have been introduced in both East and West Africa. Those in East Africa have been announced within the last few months and further improvements are now under consideration in West Africa. Booklets describing the Colonial Service are being rewritten and will be given wide publicity, and plans are being drawn up to extend scholarship and probationership training schemes to certain branches of the Colonial Service not previously covered.
Mr. H. D. HughesWhen does my right hon. Friend hope to be in a position to reply to this and other matters that were raised in the recent Report of the Select Committee on Estimates?
Mr. Creech JonesI think the Colonial Office has discharged its responsibilities in regard to the Report.