HC Deb 29 March 1956 vol 550 c236W
60. Mr. Russell

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British West Indian subjects are in distress in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and other foreign countries, and why.

Lord John Hope

The latest available figures for British West Indians receiving assistance from public funds in the Caribbean area are:

Cuba 307
Dominican Republic 241
Haiti 27

The main reason for the distress of these people is the seasonal nature of their work on sugar plantations, ill health and old age. Furthermore, in times of unemployment or crop restriction the first workers to be laid off are usually those who are foreigners.