§ 36. Mr. Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to improve transport facilities between the islands of the Western Pacific.
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsA ship was bought in 1946 to provide overseas communication for the British Solomon Islands pending the resumption of normal commercial shipping. Two naval craft have been acquired and the building of another craft is being negotiated to augment the present fleet of small ships used for local inter-island traffic there. As regards the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, two army craft have been bought to facilitate copra trading, and the possibility of acquiring a ship combining cargo and passenger carrying in a regular round-the-Islands schedule is now being considered.