§ 1. Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the present high price of rubber, it is intended to make any change in the rubber production restriction policy?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Penny) on the 7th May, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Colonel GRETTONAre the British Government, through the Colonial Office or otherwise, in any way responsible for the restriction of the production of rubber in the British Empire?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREYes; for some time past there has been in operation what we call the Stevenson scheme, which has been carefully reviewed from time to time. It is not proposed to make any drastic or sudden alterations in what has been the settled policy for the last two or three years.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs it not the case that the policy of restriction was definitely undertaken for the express purpose of increasing the price of rubber?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORENo, it was to prevent the destruction of a large number of rubber estates in Malaya, which otherwise would have become derelict and gone out of cultivation altogether, and to maintain them in existence so that production might, in the long run, be increased. Otherwise, the industry would have been destroyed at that particular moment.
§ Mr. NEIL MACLEANAre we to take it that the instructions to these people in Malaya and to this Government, to restrict the production of rubber, come from Moscow?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORECertainly not. The matter has been frequently discussed in this House. It was carried cut by the late Government as well as the previous 1273 Government, and has been the consistent policy all along, in order to maintain in existence a very important British rubber-producing industry in Malaya.
§ Colonel GRETTONCan the hon. Gentleman say when was the last occasion on which the policy of restriction was reviewed by the Colonial Office?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREAlmost within the last few weeks or months. The Special Rubber Committee, which is concerned with the working of the Stevenson scheme, reviews the situation and gives consideration to it from time to time. It has been under consideration quite recently.