§ 17. Mrs. Eirene Whiteasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what projects have been undertaken, or reforms instituted, in the British West Indies as a result of the work of the Caribbean Commission.
§ The Minister of State for the Colonies (Mr. John Dugdale)As the reply is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ By the terms of the International Agreement establishing it, the Caribbean Commission is a consultative and advisory body to further and co-ordinate economic and social progress in the territories within its scope for which the metropolitan Governments concerned are responsible. The Commission's activities are very varied, and they are not, of course, confined to the British West Indies.
§ The following are some of these activities:
§ (1) Technical Information Services.
§ Answers are given to technical inquiries over a wide field; and the following are produced and circulated:
- Information leaflets.
- Monthly information bulletin.
- Half-yearly Caribbean economic review.
- Yearbook of Caribbean research.
- External trade bulletins.
- Crop and livestock information.
- Educational films.
- Plant and animal disease reports.
§ (2) Technical Conferences have been held on the following subjects:
- Land tenure.
- Forestry.
- Meteorology.
- Livestock.
- Soil science.
§ (3) Surveys and studies have been carried out into the following subjects:
- Plant and animal quarantine legislation.
- Labour legislation (jointly with F.A.O.)
- Rural women's and youths' organisations (jointly with F.A.O.).
- Transportation and communications.
- Industrial development.
- The criteria for potential Caribbean industries.
- Fishery population movements.
- The utilisation of sugar by-products.
§ (4) Assistance in Social and Economic Development has been given in the following directions:
- Administration of war-time Caribbean schooner pool.
- Recruitment of agricultural labour for the United States.
- Tourist development.
- Aids to pioneer industries.
§ The Commission is also the parent body of the Caribbean Research Council and the West Indian Conference. Political representatives of the territories concerned meet at this Conference, which is held once every two years, and gives a valuable opportunity for an interchange of views on subjects of regional importance. Examples of recommendations made by the Conference and adopted by the Governments affected are:
- (a) The establishment of the Caribbean Interim Tourist Committee.
- (b) A meeting of meteorological experts in 1949, which resulted in improvements in the hurricane warning system.
- (c) The grant to the Caribbean area by the University of Puerto Rico of 30 scholarships to its School of Industrial Arts.