§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is the custom to pay the passages of wives of civil servants employed in the Crown Colonies; whether these civil servants have full pay on leave and, if so, for how long; whether there is any exception and, if so, what; and how these conditions compare with those in private enterprise in the Colonies concerned?
§ Mr. AMERYDetailed information of the regulations in each Colony can be supplied to my hon. Friend if he requires it, but the following summary has been prepared to show the general effect of the provisions existing in the Colonial Services:
Wives Passages: In the Colonies outside tropical Africa, with one or two minor exceptions, the cost of the passage of a wife of a European officer on his first appointment is paid. In the case of West Africa, half the cost of such a 48W passage is paid, and in East Africa en allowance is paid varying from £30 to £42 according to the Dependency concerned and the grade of the officer. As regards the passages of the wives of officers proceeding on leave from Colonies outside tropical Africa after a full tour of service, conditions vary. In Ceylon, Malaya, Hong Kong and British Guiana free passages are provided; in certain Colonies such as Mauritius and Fiji half the cost or a grant towards the cost is provided. In other Colonies, such as the West Indies, Mediterranean and Seychelles, no grant is made for this purpose. In West Africa a grant of half the cost is made provided that the officer's wife has been with him for not less than six months during his tour of service in the Colony. In East Africa a similar allowance may be paid as in the ease of first appointment.
Leave with full salary: In the Eastern Colonies leave with full pay is given and the period of such leave varies according to the regulations in each Colony, and to the officer's wishes as to commuting half-pay leave. A normal period of leave with full pay is eight months after a tour of service of four or 4½ years. In Jamaica, Trinidad and, British Guiana, leave with full pay may be given at the rate of one-eighth of resident service and may he accumulated up to six months. In West Africa leave with full pay is given at the rate of one week for each month of service in the Colony, excluding the time occupied on the voyages to and fro. In East Africa the rate varies from four to seven days for each month's service, according to the Dependency concerned, but if the officer is not returning leave is computed at half this rate. There is no Colonial administration in which provision for leave with full pay does not exist. I have no sufficient information of the very varied leave conditions of employés of private firms in the different Colonies to enable me to answer the last part of the question.