§ Mr. Hammersleyasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what proportion of the £1,500,000 allowed in the Empire Settlement Act was expended during the last financial year; and what was the nature of the various schemes assisted, the number of immigrants, and the countries in which they settled?
§ Sir T. InskipThe total expenditure under the Empire Settlement Acts, 1922 and 1937, during the financial year ended 31st March, 1938, was £21,866; during the nine months to the 31st December, 1938, it amounted to £32,891; and it is estimated that the expenditure for the full 12 months ending 31st March next will be approximately £45,000.
Apart from expenditure under the above-mentioned Acts, grants made towards the administrative expenses of certain voluntary societies engaged in migration activities amounted to £6,745 in the year to 3rst March, 1938, and are expected to amount to £10,600 in the present financial year.
As regards the second part of the question, it will be convenient to give information relating to the calendar year 1938, as certain assisted passage schemes came into operation during that year.
Expenditure incurred in connection with schemes assisted under the Acts during 1938 falls into the following main categories, namely, contributions towards:
664W
- (1) Expenses incurred in respect of settlers established under former land settlement schemes in the Dominions;
- (2) Assisted passages;
- (3) Capital and maintenance in respect of farm schools in Canada and Australia for the education and training of children from this country;
- (4) After-care of settlers and hostel accommodation for them.
Final returns of sailings of assisted migrants during 1938 have not yet been received, but the approximate numbers who received assistance towards the cost of their passages under joint passage schemes arranged with oversea Governments were as follow:
Destination. No. Australia … 1,259 New Zealand … 12 Southern Rhodesia … 137 Total … 1,408 In addition 212 migrants proceeding to various parts of the Empire received passage assistance under agreements between the United Kingdom Government and certain voluntary societies. Apart from persons receiving assisted passages, approximately 2,000 migrants have also proceeded to various destinations overseas under the auspices of voluntary societies to whose expenses contributions were made by the Government either under the Empire Settlement Acts or otherwise.