§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the internal revenues of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Government has been represented by royalty income from the exploitation of phos- 442W phate deposits on Ocean Island, in the years 1946 to 1968, inclusive.
§ Mr. LuardGilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Government revenue from the Ocean Island phosphate industry is levied as taxation or as charges which are in the nature of taxation.
The figures are as follows:
Year Phosphate Tax as percentage of internal revenue 1946–47 … … … 24.87 1947–48 … … … 12.92 1948–49 … … … 13.42 1949 (9 months) … … … 15.74 1950 … … … 16.11 1951 … … … 33.69 1952 … … … 36.08 1953 … … … 30.01 1954 … … … 34.57 1955 … … … 30.33 1956 … … … 36.15 1957 … … … 57.01 1958 … … … 51.62 1959 … … … 35.43 1960 … … … 46.93 1961 … … … 50.51 1962 … … … 43.06 1963 … … … 48.13 1964 … … … 45.03 1965 … … … 40.35 1966 … … … 42.27 1967 … … … 53.66 1968 … … … 54.24