§ Mr. T. Reidasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement showing the cash value of gifts made, or promised, by Britain since April, 1938, to each British Dependency, including liquidation of Dependencies' debts by the British taxpayer.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsThe total gifts made or promised by His Majesty's Government since April, 1938, to British Dependencies may be classified as follows:
£ (a) Cash Colonial Development and Welfare* 131,000,000 Grants in aid of administration 1st April, 1938, to 31st March, 1951 25,000,000 Grants in aid of reconstruction and rehabilitation to 31stMarch, 1951 6,700,000 Grants to Malta for War Damage 30,000,000 Far East War Damage Compensation Schemes 21,000,000 Grants for internal Security 1949–50 (Malaya, Africa, Jamaica) 10,260,000 Food subsidies, etc. 2,567,000 Miscellaneous items, including cost of troops in Malaya(£4,000,000) 6,008,000 Total £232,535,000 * Excluding the £20,000,000 to be provided under the new Bill now before Parliament. £ (b) Claims waived Loans written off under Colonial Development and Welfare Act, 1940 10,150,000 Cost of military administration in Far East 10,000,000 Defence expenditure in Fiji 2,000,000 Total 22,150,000 Grand Total £254,685,000 This figure does not include assistance in cash or kind made to the territories of Transjordan and Palestine.
It has not been possible in the time available to sub-divide the total assistance between individual territories.
153WIn addition, certain assistance in kind has been given to various territories, for example, installations by the Service Departments. It is impossible without prolonged investigation to give a complete list of these and it would be extremely difficult to set a precise valuation upon them.