§ Mr. HANNONasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he will indicate the nature and extent of schemes of development in relation to public utility projects now arranged, or in process of completion, in Kenya, Uganda, 2276W and Nigeria; and if the contracts relating to such schemes will be placed in this country?
§ Dr. SHIELSIt is assumed that the hon. Member has in mind schemes undertaken with the facilities afforded by the Colonial Development Ace. A preliminary application for assistance from the Colonial Development Fund has been made by the High Commissioner for Transport, Kenya and Uganda, in connection with a proposal to extend the Kenya-Uganda railway westwards to the Uganda-Congo border. It is anticipated that further proposals for development wish assistance from the fund will be submitted by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda. Arrangements will be made in the usual way to ensure that plant, machinery and materials imported into East Africa in connection with any such projects will, save in exceptional crcumstances, be of British manufacture and origin'. As regards Nigeria, no services have yet been arranged as objects for assistance from the Colonial Development Fund, in view of the fact that that colony has just floated a new loan which will be devoted to various works of public utility; the orders for these works will be placed in this country as far as possible.