§ 45. Mr. Blackburnasked the Lord President of the Council whether he will request the Economic Planning Board to give early consideration to the need for the rapid rehabilitation of those Colonial enterprises, such as tin production, which are potential large earners of dollars, but which are still unable to obtain the necessary machinery to achieve their prewar production.
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)As I announced in this House on 7th July, the primary function of the Economic Planning Board will be to advise His Majesty's Government on the best use of our economic resources, both for the realisation of a long-term plan and for remedial measures against our immediate difficulties. Problems of Colonial development and rehabilitation as such are not a matter for the Planning Board. Certain types of plant and equipment in short supply may, however, be required both for such development and for production at home, and naturally this is one of the problems to which the Planning Board would direct its attention.