A.—4

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Colonel Amery as a basis for discussion at the forthcoming meeting of Prime Ministers :— (1.) His Majesty's Government to co-operate with the Oversea Governments in a comprehensive policy of Empire Land Settlement and Empire-directed migration, extending over a period of years, and to this end to contribute up to a maximum of £2,000,000 a year in any year in respect of schemes of land-settlement, assisted passages, and such other kindred schemes as may commend themselves to the Governments concerned. (2.) The assistance to land-settlement to take the form of advances to settlers up to a maximum of £300 a settler, the advances to be made through the Oversea Governments concerned or through specially approved private organizations, and repayments collected by them. These advances to reckon pari passu with the advances made by the oversea Government or private organization in respect of conditions, security, terms of repayment, &c. The repayments to be devoted to further advances to new settlers. In so far as expenditure not recoverable in the form of advances may be involved in training or allowances during training, His Majesty's Government to share this with the oversea Government or private organization concerned, the amount so spent being deducted from the amount available for loan purposes. (3.) His Majesty's Government to assign normally about half its total contribution, viz. : about £1,000,000, to land-settlement. In view, however, of its commitments in respect of the free-passage scheme for ex-service men and women and other kindred expenditure arising out of the special conditions of the post-war situation, the amount available for land settlement for the financial years 1921-2 and 1922-3 will probably not exceed £750,000. In allocating this money as between different schemes it will be guided primarily by the merits of the schemes both from the point of view of their economy, i.e., the number of settlers they can deal with for a given British contribution, and still more from that of the arrangements for training, future prospects of the settler, social amenity (group settlements), &c, and other things being equal, by the desire to afford all the Dominions an equal opportunity for develoving their resources and strengthening their man-power. (4.) His Majesty's Government to assign the balance of its contribution to assisted passages, including, if necessary, outfit and landing money allowances. As regards passages, the following was suggested as a basis for discussion : —One-third of the passage money to be given as a free grant, and one-third as an advance, the latter to be increased up to two-thirds in special cases where the Governments concerned are agreed as to the desirability of the assistance being given and as to the prospects of repayment. The cost of the assistance so given to be divided equally between His Majesty's Government and that of the Dominion concerned, the latter undertaking to collect the advances on behalf of His Majesty's Government. The repayment to be devoted to additional assistance to passages. Contributions to schemes of child emigration or settlement to be wholly in the form of grants and not of loans. (5.) If any Dominion would prefer in lieu of a joint contribution to assist passages, some alternative scheme for the assistance of settlers generally or for land settlement, His Majesty's Government to consider the allocation to such scheme of the amount it would otherwise have contributed to assisted passages in respect of settlers proceeding to that Dominion. (6.) In view of the commitments of His Majesty's Government to its exservice men up to the end of 1922, and of the arrangements already made by other Governments for their own schemes of assisted passages, it is not contemplated that the general scheme for assisted passages referred to above should come into operation before the middle of 1922 or the beginning of 1923.