5. Mr. TALBOTasked the Secretary of State for India if he is aware that the Government of India requested the Government of Ceylon to remove by the end of March 210,000 tons of rice out of an original allotment of 280,000 tons for the year; if the reason for this is insufficient storage room in Rangoon and the danger of the rice there going bad owing to the restriction of export based on a low estimate of the crop; and whether, if the harvest resulting from the monsoon is a good one, rendering a large reserve not necessary, the Government of India will release for export to Ceylon and other British possessions larger quantities of rice at a price which allows a reasonable profit to the Government on the rates paid to the producers?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe answer to the first two parts is in the affirmative, but the storage difficulties were partly overcome and the Government of India did not find it necessary to enforce their request in its entirety. I have no doubt that a good monsoon will influence the Government in India in the direction indicated in the last part of the question. They recently were prepared to increase Ceylon's allotment at the Ceylon Government's request, but the request was withdrawn.