§ 37. Mr. Morganasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the damage done to the Palestine citrus industry during the recent season as a result of the bad conditions under which the fruit was shipped from Palestine to Great Britain; and whether he proposes to take any steps to prevent a repetition of this damage in future seasons?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreI am aware that some of the Palestine fruit has, unfortunately, arrived in this country during the present season in a very bad state. I am advised that, in so far as such wastage is abnormal this year, it is probably due to the exceptionally heavy rains during the harvest. The Palestine Government are at present considering a plan of research to discover the causes of the smaller amount of wastage that normally occurs. Meanwhile it would be wrong to assume that the conditions on shipboard are solely responsible.