Development Adviser (Hansard, 6 July 1961)

§ 7. Mr. Marquand
asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will appoint a development officer of wide experience in Africa to superintend the development projects which are planned for Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland.

§ Mr. Braine
As was stated in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Reading (Mr. Emery) on 28th July last, Sir Gordon Hadow. who 1623 was a member of the Morse Mission, and had previously had wide experience in administration in West Africa, holds the appointment of Development Adviser to the High Commissioner for Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland.

§ Mr. Marquand
May we take it that this appointment means that the Government have the intention of making the development of the three High Commission Territories an operation which the whole world can see as an operation shop window, as someone has called it? Does it mean that, although it is nearly eighteen months since the Morse Mission presented its Report, the Government intend to make a really good thing of this, something for which the whole world can admire this country?

§ Mr. Braine
My right hon. Friend has had the benefit of the advice of this able and experienced administrator during the period which the right hon. Gentleman has mentioned. However, I should have thought that the Answer which I gave to the first Question on the Order Paper is the answer to his supplementary question.

§ Mr. Emery
Would my hon. Friend state that, as well as making this operation a shop window, it should be really worth while in its development for all of the Territories? Can he say whether any international finance, particularly from the International Development Association, might be used towards this end?

§ Mr. Braine
The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question is "Yes". With regard to the second part, I referred to the possibility of finance from the International Development Association, which recently sent a mission to the High Commission Territories to examine the possibility of a loan for road construction. We are also in touch with such organisations as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Special Fund, which is at present considering applications made to it by the Bechuanaland Protectorate for a preliminary survey of the Okavango Swamps in the north-western corner of the Territory and a hydrological survey of river water sources over the whole of the Territory.

§ Mr. Marquand
The hon. Gentleman's Answer to the earlier Question was very disappointing. It implied that the Government were prepared only to continue with a small instalment of the Morse development plan. Would not he agree that there is no project of economic development in the whole of Africa more important at present than this one? Will he indicate that the Government intend over a period of years to carry through all the recommendations in the Morse Report?

§ Mr. Braine
This new money will enable the High Commissioner to supplement the development plans which are already in existence. The right hon. Gentleman must not suggest that development plans are not already under way. As a matter of fact, the allocation of £6-75 million to the three Territories under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act, 1959, was not enough to carry out these plans in full. Therefore, a large part of the new money will be devoted to this purpose.