§ 29. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if an inquiry has now been held into the wage rates for workers in different communities in Malaya, both in Government and private service; whether any steps are being taken to limit or prohibit the sale or manufacture of toddy in Malaya; and whether improved water facilities are now available.
Mr. Creech JonesAs regards the first part of the Question, there is a Wages and Cost of Living Committee, which has already issued an interim report. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my predecessor gave to him on 10th July. As regards the second and third parts of the Question, I am awaiting a report from the Governor of the Malayan Union, and I will write to my hon. Friend when I receive it. In Singapore, toddy sale is strictly limited through Government toddy shops, and manufacture is approximately half what it was before the war.