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15. The political and economic circumstances of the Dependent
Territories differ widely, and it is not possible to lay down univers-
ally applicable principles on aid policy: this has to be considered separately for each territory taking also into account any other pot-
ential sources of aid. In general the objective should be to concen- trate aid on investment in projects and programmes designed, by making better use of local resources, to increase future income and employ- ment. Improvement of social services under this option is likely to be gradual rather than rapid, and suited to the particular circum- stances of the territory. British aid policy in the dependencies, as elsewhere, should be increasingly focussed on widening the oppor- tunities for the poorer sectors to raise their incomes, particularly in territories where there are sizeable rural populations.
16. In economic terms an objective as defined above implies an
adherence to the level of standards suggested below:
a.
b.
C.
d.
e.
educational investment to be limited by employment prospects (the alternative may be to produce educated but discontented unemployed) and appropriate to the circumstances of individual territories;
health services to be concentrated on prevention, and on the provision of clinics and the encouragement of family planning, rather than on the building of centralised and expensive
hospitals;
housing development to be geared to self-help and to schemes which merely supply "site-and-service";
police training to be assisted until there is a local capacity
to maintain law and order;
capital projects to be carefully scrutinised in the light of the recurrent burden which they could impose in a territory's
finances.
17. On the other hand we could aim to adopt higher standards, on the argument that it is desirable on humanitarian and political
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