§ Mr. Colegateasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that there is a considerable shortage of labour in Trinidad, whilst in Jamaica there is considerable unemployment; and whether he will arrange for the transfer of Jamaican labourers to Trinidad?
§ Mr. Harold MacmillanThere has been over the past year a considerable shortage of labour in Trinidad for agricultural work and the question of increasing the supply of labour has been engaging the anxious attention of the Government. Legislation has been passed facilitating immigration while arrangements had been made by the U.S. authorities for the importation of 2,000 labourers from Barbados, where there is considerable unemployment, for work on the United States Base. The shortage of housing and other conditions has necessarily, however, limited the number of labourers who can be imported. Labourers are now, however, beginning to be released from work on the Base and if, as now seems unlikely, still further labour were required to be imported this could no doubt best be obtained from Barbados rather than from Jamaica under present conditions.