33.
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the total sterling balances in each British Colony at the end of the war; and what the totals are now.
As the reply to the Question is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is the reply:
The sterling assets of the Colonies comprise funds of currency boards, funds held with the Crown Agents for the Colonies, loans to His Majesty's Government and London balances of banks operating in the Colonies. Excluding Ceylon and Palestine, these assets totalled some £530 million at 31st December, 1945, and some £610 million at 31st December, 1948. The former total includes approximately £85 million and the latter total approximately £90 million of non-United Kingdom sterling securities. The principal holders were:
| 31st December, 1945 | 31st December, 1948 | ||
| £ millions | £ millions | ||
| Malaya | … | 115 | 105 |
| West Africa | … | 100 | 145 |
| East Africa | … | 100 | 105 |
It is regretted that figures for each individual Colony cannot be supplied.