§ Mr. Piratinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provision has been made for the repatriation and resettlement in the West Indies and, in particular, the Bahamas, of service and civilian technicians who were brought from there to the United Kingdom during the war.
§ Mr. George Hall:Service technicians brought from the West Indies to the United Kingdom during the war are normally given free passages to their homes in the West Indies before they are demobilised. Civilian technicians are offered facilities for repatriation at public expense as passages become available and many have already returned to the West Indies. As regards resettlement, both Service and civilian technicians are being given opportunities to apply for training in the United Kingdom, prior to repatriation, in order to assist them on their return to civil life in the West Indies, special attention being given to the particular requirements of the Colony concerned. All West Indian Colonies have made arrangements to facilitate the resettlement of their personnel who were brought to the United Kingdom during the war. In the case of the Bahamas, I am informed that no difficulty has so far been experienced, or is expected in absorbing technicians into local industrial undertakings.