§ Mrs. Shirley Williamsasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether Her Majesty's Government have yet been able to wind up the accounts for the colonial development and welfare loans and grants made to the Southern Cameroons before independence.
§ Mr. OramThe audited account showed that the sums issued from colonial development and welfare funds before independence for approved schemes exceeded by £25,025 those actually spent on such schemes before independence. In terms of the Colonial Development and Welfare Act it is necessary for this sum to be recovered as a credit to the Development and Welfare Vote. However, as the expenditure was in fact incurred after independence on projects originally approved, Her Majesty's Government have decided not to seek the recovery from the West Cameroon of this amount. Parliament will in due course be asked to vote that amount as an item of aid to the Government of the Federal Cameroon Republic by means of a Spring Supplementary Vote. This will enable the over-issues to be refunded to the colonial development and welfare funds.