§ Sir R. Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the financial arrangements agreed with Her Majesty's Government in connection with the census conducted in the Eastern Caribbean and centred on Trinidad in 1960 and subsequent years.
§ Mr. SandysIt was agreed between the West Indian Governments concerned that, apart from an initial grant from the former Federal Government of the West Indies (which was duly made), expenditure should be shared between the participating governments on the basis of the population of each territory.
The British Government have agreed that the contributions from the dependent territories should be met from CD. & W. funds as and when they are required, but there is also a sum of £13,542 due to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago which, as a result of the independence of that country in 1962, can only be met from the Commonwealth Grants and Loans Vote.
Payment of this sum will be made in the first place from the Civil Contingencies Fund and a Supplementary Estimate will be presented in due course.