§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT in parallel column the commercial value of the sale of phosphates mined on Ocean Island in each of the financial years from 1958 to 1968, the income accruing; to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands administration from these phosphates in the same period, and the sums paid by way of royalties to the Banaban people of Rambi Island in each of the years concerned.
§ Mr. WhitlockThe information required is set out in the following table.
(NOTE: All figures shown in Australian pre-decimal currency for uniformity.)
Column A Column B Column C Year Ending 30th June* Estimated F.O.B. Cost† Revenue Payments to Gilbert and Ellice Islands Royalties to Banabans‖ £ A £ A £ A 1958–59 … 1,052,000 233,725 29,216 1959–60 … 1,107,000 274,188 27,768 1960–61 … 1,192,000 326,793 42,233§ 1961–62 … 1,275,000 318,730 41,561§ 1962–63 … 1,440,000 350,650 43,023§ 1963–64 … 1,506,000 366,676 42,899§ 1964–65 … 1,857,000 401,296 61,527§ 1965–66 … 1,819,000 470,320 64,363§ 1966–67 … 2,410,000 869,845 159,356 1967–68 … 2,559,000 921,418‡ 162,415 NOTES: * The financial year of the British Phosphate Commissioners is from July to June. † From 1st January, 1968 an f.o.b. price of $ A11 per ton was established for Ocean Island phosphates, this being related to the price negotiated for phosphate from Nauru. Prior to this the marketing of Ocean Island phosphate was conducted jointly with Nauru phosphate, the product being sold at a common f.o.b. price based on cost. Owing to differences between the islands in production and costs it would be misleading to apply average figures to Ocean Island. Separate estimates of Ocean Island costs have however been made by the British Phosphate Commissioners in respect of the years in question and are given in Column A. These estimates include the actual payments shown in Columns B and C. ‡ A balance of £A14,094 remains for apportionment. § Each of these amounts includes £15,000 as a grant towards the Banabans' housing fund. ‖ In addition payments totalling £24,405 were made to the Banabans' Road Fund during the period from 1962 to 1964.