HL Deb 11 April 1960 vol 222 cc956-8WA
LORD BARNBY

asked Her Majesty's Government, having regard to the total annual contributions assumed by the United Kingdom for assistance to so-called under-developed regions of the Commonwealth (a) what totals respectively are made to Dominions and what to Colonies and Territories; (b) what, if any, is provided for assistance of White Migration in the Commonwealth; (c) what is the amount expended annually by the United Kingdom on total assistance to migration within the Commonwealth.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)

The White Paper on Assistance from the United Kingdom for Overseas Development (Cmnd. 974) shows that the United Kingdom Government's bilateral assistance to independent Commonwealth countries in 1959–60 is estimated to total £40.6 million and to Colonial Territories £62.7 million. These figures do not include assistance given through our subscriptions to international organisations, much of which was allocated to Commonwealth countries.

The second and third parts of the Question do not permit of separate answers. Details of the amounts expended in 1956–57, 1957–58 and 1958–59 were given in answer to the noble Lord's Question on February 16, 1960 [OFFICIAL REPORT, cols. 1–3]. The best available figure for actual expenditure in 1959–60 is £178,523. This may be broken down as follows:

£
Grants-in-Aid to certain Voluntary Societies … 9,223
Assisted Passage Agreement with Australia … 150,000
Outfit and Maintenance Allowances under agreed schemes for child migrants to Australia … 19,300*
*Estimated.
£178,523

House adjourned at nine minutes before nine o'clock.