§ 16. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what precise inducements are being offered to girls in Aden Colony to become student nurses; what progress is being made in this respect in the Aden Protectorates; to what extent progress in improved sanitation in working-class accommodation has been effected; and what further action has been taken to suppress the sale and usage of qat and to publicise its deleterious consequences to health.
§ Mr. H. FraserIntending student nurses are offered accelerated increments during training, and six additional increments on the completion of training. There are good prospects of early promotion and opportunities for further training in the United Kingdom to qualify for the posts of assistant matron and matron.
In Aden Protectorate training facilities are provided for up to 27 nurses. So far, 12 girls have passed; 10 more are under training.
In recent years, all Government working-class houses have been provided with water-borne sanitation. All new private working-class houses in the municipal area must be similarly provided, but in certain areas a general conversion to water-borne sanitation is not possible until planned improvements to the drainage systems have been completed.
No action has been taken to suppress the sale and usage of qat since the ban on its importation was removed in 1959.
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on having combined three completely diverse subjects in one Question.
§ Mr. SorensenI thank the hon. Gentleman for the personal eulogy. Does he agree that the number of trained nurses and nursing trainees in Aden Colony is altogether inadequate and that much more must be done in order to overcome prejudice and secure the number of nurses required for the hospital service in Aden?
1732 Reverting to the last part of my Question, is the hon. Gentleman aware that qat is recognised to be a very deleterious drug, and something should be done to prevent its use, which has been estimated to cost the Colony about £2½ million a year?
§ Mr. FraserIn reply to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, there are, of course, 27 vacancies for trainees and only 22 people so far have come forward. We are broadcasting to try to bring more people in.
As regards qat—however the word is pronounced—I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Qat Commission's Report published in 1958 showing that its effect was deleterious only if it was taken in excessive quantities.
§ 17. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what political parties now exist in Aden Colony; which of these accept the present constitution; what developments have been initiated by the Ministers in charge; and approximately how many persons are now unemployed.
§ Mr. H. FraserThree organisations which are primarily political are registered; the South Arabian League, which does not accept the present constitution, and the United National Party and the Independence Party, which do. I am placing in the Library a copy of the Aden Government's Administrative Survey for 1960, which describes developments during the year under the various Government Departments for which the Colony Ministers are responsible. The number of unemployed registered with the Labour Department is 2,644.
§ Mr. SorensenCould the Minister add a word about the work of the Ministers in charge and say whether these Departments are now working satisfactorily and whether progress has been registered at all by any one of them?
§ Mr. FraserIf the hon. Gentleman will look at the Report in the Library, I am sure that he will be satisfied.