§ 2. Mr. Vaughan-Morganasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are taken by his Department to recover from the Governments of the various British West Indian territories concerned the expenditure incurred by British embassies in alleviating distress amongst British West Indian subjects in various foreign countries.
§ Mr. Dodds-ParkerThe cost of repatriating distressed British West Indians to their countries of origin is recovered from the colonial Governments concerned.
There are, however, large numbers of distressed British West Indians in foreign countries, principally Cuba and the Dominican Republic, who because of old age or ill-health are unfit for repatriation. Relief is paid to these persons by Her Majesty's consuls from funds provided by Her Majesty's Government. Some of the colonial Governments refund a proportion of the relief payments; in 1955, contributions received from various British West Indian Governments amounted to nearly 18 per cent. of the total expenditure on relief.