1922: 12 & 13 George 5 c.13: An Act to make better provision for furthering British settlement in His Majesty’s Oversea Dominions.
[31st May 1922.]
BE it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
[Power of Secretary of State to cooperate in schemes.]
1. — (1) It shall be lawful for the Secretary of State, in association with the government of any part of His Majesty’s Dominions, or with public authorities or public or private organisations either in the United Kingdom or in any part of such Dominions, to formulate and co-operate in carrying out agreed schemes for affording joint assistance to suitable persons in the United Kingdom who intend to settle in any part of His Majesty’s Oversea Dominions.
(2) An agreed scheme under this Act may be either:—
(a) a development or a land settlement scheme; or
(b) a scheme for facilitating settlement in or migration to any part of His Majesty’s Oversea Dominions by assistance with passages, initial allowances, training or otherwise;
and shall make provision with respect to the contributions to be made, either by way of grant or by way of loan or otherwise, by the parties to the agreed scheme towards the expenses of the scheme.
(3) The Secretary of State shall have all such powers as may be necessary for carrying out his obligations under any scheme made in pursuance of this Act:
Provided that—
(a) the Secretary of State shall not agree to any scheme without the consent of the Treasury, who shall be satisfied that the contributions of the government, authority, or organisation with whom the scheme is agreed towards the expenses of the scheme bear a proper relation to the contribution of the Secretary of State; and
(b) the contribution of the Secretary of State shall not in any case exceed half the expenses of the scheme; and
(c) the liability of the Secretary of State to make contributions under the scheme shall not extend beyond a period of fifteen years after the passing of this Act.
(4) Any expenses of the Secretary of State under this Act shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament:
Provided that the aggregate amount expended by the Secretary of State, under any scheme or schemes under this Act shall not exceed one million five hundred thousand pounds in the financial year current at the date of the passing of this Act, or three million pounds in any subsequent financial year, exclusive of the amount of any sums received by way of interest on or repayment of advances previously made.
[Application to protectorates, &c.]
2. His Majesty may by Order in Council direct that this Act shall apply to any territory which is under His Majesty’s protection, or in respect of which a mandate is being exercised by the government of any part of His Majesty’s Dominions as if that territory were a part of His Majesty’s Dominions, and, on the making of any such order, this Act shall, subject to the provisions of the Order, have effect accordingly.
[Short title.]
3. This Act may be cited as the Empire Settlement Act, 1922.
Source: Public General Acts 1922.
Further reading: Canadian Museum of Immigration.
See also: Hansard.