§ Mr. D. Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that 28 small farmers in the St. Mary area of Jamaica are being held in custody because of their inability to repay the loans granted to them following the hurricane of 1944 to rebuild their homes; and whether, in all the circumstances of these cases, he will confer with the 116W Governor with a view to devising a policy of leniency towards these people who have been the victims of misfortune.
§ Mr. LytteltonNo. The Governor tells me that in one such case a man was taken into custody for 10 days because he had made no effort to complete his house or to repay his loan although he was employed. Other commitment warrants issued at the instance of the same loan bank in St. Mary did not relate to hurricane housing loans. I agree with the Governor, who supports the policy of the loan banks, which is to give concessions to deserving cases and to take court proceedings only where the borrowers make no efforts to meet their obligations.