§ 59. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the amount of the trimming of the African education estimates of Northern Rhodesia because of the fall of the copper revenues.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWhen my hon. Friend in his reply on 4th July mentioned a "trimming" of the estimates, he was referring to the Northern Rhodesia estimates generally. The position is that instead of an expansion of more than 20 per cent. over all Government Departments, which would have maintained the rate of development and which had been hoped for, the 1957–58 budget, just introduced, provides for an increase over the previous year at rather more than 9 per cent. for recurrent expenditure on African education and rather less than 9 per cent. overall.
§ Mr. JohnsonI thank the right hon. Gentleman for that helpful answer, but would he agree that any economy at all would be disastrous? Would he agree that much more money needs to be spent, 930 because there is only one boys' secondary school in that Colony with its 2 million Africans and there is not yet one girls' secondary school with a school certificate course?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI am very conscious of this, but, clearly, the price of copper is a factor. I think that the fact that the average increase in expenditure is less than 9 per cent. but in the case of African education it is more than 9 per cent. is an earnest of the intentions of the Government of Northern Rhodesia in this regard.