§ 21. Mr. Turtonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, what tonnage of rubber has been produced since 1942 from rubber plantations in East Africa which were derelict before the war; what has been the average cost of production; and for how long it is proposed to continue to obtain rubber from this source.
§ Mr. George HallFrom 1st January, 1942, to 30th September, 1945, about 3,200 tons above normal were produced in East Africa. This increase is almost wholly due to the working of the derelict estates in Tanganyika. The estimated cost of production on the derelict estates was 1s. 8d. a lb. So long as the shortage of natural rubber continues, it is necessary to take all the plantation rubber that can be obtained from East Africa.