§ Brigadier-General CHARTERIS(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been directed to a statement made by the Under-Secretary of State of his Department at Kuala Lampura to the effect that Lord Stevenson and the Advisory Committee were to blame for the raising of the pivotal price of rubber from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 9d.; and whether the Advisory Committee had been consulted before this decision was arrived at; and, if so, whether there is any record of the advice that they gave and what was the nature of the advice?
§ Captain MARGESSON (Lord of the Treasury)I have been asked to reply My right hon. Friend has seen the report in question and has since ascertained by telegraph that the Under-Secretary of State's remarks were incorrectly transmitted; the latter has since issued a statement to the local Press, in the course of which he made it clear that the matter was one in which the Government acted on its own responsibility. I understand that the fixing of the new pivotal price in April. 1926, was done without formal consultation of the Advisory Committee.