§ Mr. H. G. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will furnish an estimate for a recent date of the total population of the British Colonial Empire, including Crown Colonies, protectorates, mandated territories, and territories under condominium; and whether he will state what proportion of the total population inhabits countries debarred by treaty engagements from granting any preference to United Kingdom goods?
Mr. THOMASAccording to the latest figures available, the total population of the British Colonial Empire is about 58,000,000, while the total number of persons inhabiting Colonial territories which are debarred from granting preference to United Kingdom goods is about 39,000,000, that is about two-thirds of the total.