§ Mr. Rileyasked the Secretary of State for the Colones whether he will take advantage of the centenary, on 1st August, of the abolition of all forms of slavery in the West Indies to make a public pronouncement of policy on behalf of His Majesty's Government?
Mr. M. MacDonaldI made a full statement of the main lines of His Majesty's Government's policy for improving conditions in the West Indies in the course of the Debate on the 14th June, and I do not think that there is anything that I can add to it at present. As the House is aware, it was proposed to advise His Majesty to appoint a Royal Commission to the West Indies to assist the Government in formulating a long-term policy. I hope that the names of the members of this Commission, which I shall be announcing later this afternoon, will in themselves be an assurance to the people of the Colonies which they are to visit that His Majesty's Government are serious in their efforts to grapple with their problems in an adequate way. So far as various immediate measures, such3342W as the improvement of housing conditions, are practicable, the Colonial Governments have authority to proceed with these without any avoidable delay.