§ Mr. KELLYasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in-connection with the city improvement schemes of Georgetown, British Guiana, more especially the sewerage scheme, he can state how these schemes were financed and under whose administration they have been executed from the outset; the original estimate for the main drainage scheme; who designed the scheme and prepared the estimates for it; and whether the consulting engineers were responsible for the due performance of this work according to the design and the estimate therefore?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThese schemes are being financed by advances from the Crown agents pending the raising of a loan. They were originally carried out by a contractor under the supervision of consulting engineers, but are now being completed by direct labour. The original estimate of the net basic cost of the main drainage scheme was £248,446. The estimate was prepared by the contractor and approved by the consulting engineers, who designed the scheme and were responsible for the supervision of the performance of the work by the contractor.
§ Mr. GRIFFITHSasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies 46W whether, seeing that the Georgetown Town Council has sent a delegation to the Colonial Office to complain of the excessive expenditure and faulty administration of the city improvements schemes of Georgetown, British Guiana, by the Colonial Government and to seek relief, he will say whether any relief has been given to the city of Georgetown as a consequence; and, if not, whether the Colonial Office intend to give the relief, and in what form?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe reply to the first part of this question is in the negative. As regards the second part, the Colonial Government have recently informed the town council that the present time is inopportune to consider any amendment in the allocation of the burden of these schemes between the ratepayers of the city and the taxpayers of the Colony, and I see no reason to take a different view.