§ Sir E. GRIGGasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) the total sum disbursed by the Crown agents for the pay of officers on leave from the African colonies, protectorates, and mandated territories in the last financial year for which figures are available;
(2) the total sum disbursed by the Crown Agents on behalf of the African colonies, protectorates, and mandated territories for pensions, gratuities, and compassionate allowances payable to officers at some time in the service of these terrifies in the last financial year for which figures are available?
Mr. M. MacDONALDI am informed by the Crown Agents for the Colonies that the system under which their accounts are kept is not such as to enable a ready answer to be given to the first question or to my hon. Friend's similar inquiry regarding pension payments, etc. The desired figures could be obtained only by a laborious and protracted analysis of many thousands of individual files, which I do not feel justified in inviting the Crown Agents to undertake.
§ Sir E. GRIGGasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what percentage of the total revenues of the African colonies, protectorates, and mandated territories was devoted to the payment of salaries and allowances to officers in the public services in the last financial year for which figures are available?
Mr. MacDONALDThe approximate percentages for those African territories whose affairs are dealt with in the Colonial Office are as follow:
Kenya 49.1 Uganda 38.5 Tanganyika Territory 54.3 Northern Rhodesia 54.3 Nyasaland 46.4 Somaliland 83.8 Zanzibar 50.3 Gambia 37.4 Gold Coast 39.3 Nigeria 42.0 Serra Leone 45.9 Kenya-Uganda Railway 23.9 The figures relate to the calendar year 1933 except in the case of Nigeria and the Gold Coast, where the financial year ending 31st March, 1933, and 31st March, 1493W 1934, respectively, have been taken; and the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours, where the 1934 figures have been included.
§ Sir E. GRIGGasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total sum paid annually by the African colonies, protectorates, and mandated territories for interest and sinking fund on loans raised in this country; what percentage this total sum formed of their government and railway revenues in the last financial year for which figures are available; and what saving would be effected to those territories if interest on all such loans were reduced by conversion or otherwise to three per cent?
Mr. MacDONALDDuring the last financial year the total sum paid as interest and sinking fund on public loans contracted in this country by the African administration whose affairs are dealt with in the Colonial Office was £4,118,813, equivalent to 19.3 per cent. of their revenues for the year. If the interest on these loans could be reduced to 3 per cent. the saving effected would amount to £1,297,539. The total amount of public debt in the administrations in question is £73,473,207.