Mr. Creech Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to an advertisement for a doctor born in the United Kingdom and of European parentage to serve in Government medical service in Jamaica; whether it is the policy of His Majesty's Government that discrimination should be established in this and other appointments in the West Indian colonial 3341W services; and on what grounds this discrimination is advertised when the state of opinion in Jamaica is already seriously disturbed?
Mr. M. MacDonaldI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the advertisement for a Health Officer in the Government Medical Service in Jamaica which appeared in the British Medical Journal and the Lancet of the 28th May, 1938. That advertisement stated that candidates must be British subjects of European parentage, because the Governor in reporting the vacancy stated that there was no suitable qualified officer available in the Colony. It was assumed, therefore, that no useful purpose would be served by inviting applications from Jamaicans.
Far from there being any discrimination against the appointment of West Indians in the local government services in the West Indies, it is the settled policy to utilise the services of local persons for appointments for which they are suitable and qualified.