§ 33 Sir Leslie Plummerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) if he will state the tonnages of sisal exported from East Africa in 1939 and in 1951, to date;
(2) what was the average price received in 1939 by sisal growers in East Africa for their exported crop and the average price they have so far received in 1951;
(3) what were the daily rates of pay received by African labourers in East African sisal plantations in 1939 and in 1951, to date.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydExports of sisal from the three East African territories combined amounted to 119,000 tons in 1939 and to 84,500 tons during the first six months of 1951. Figures for subsequent months are being obtained from East Africa.
2373 I will obtain for the hon. Member the information regarding prices received by the growers and wages received by the sisal estate labourers and will write to him as soon as it becomes available.
§ Sir L. PlummerWill the right hon. Gentleman, on his visit to East Africa, discuss with the Governors of the territories what steps are necessary to be taken, first, to control the fast-rising prices of sisal and, second, to ensure that the African labourers working on sisal plantations get a more proportionate share of the growing prosperity of the industry?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI will certainly look into the two points made by the hon. Member, and on behalf of His Majesty's Government I will also thank the employers and workers concerned, who last year by their exports of sisal obtained for us £16 million sterling in value.
§ Mr. Walter FletcherWill my right hon. Friend also bear in mind the high proportion of dollars earned by this industry?
§ Mr. C. J. M. AlportWill my right hon. Friend at the same time show the effect of the sisal export tax on the reward the sisal growers are getting? Will he also show the comparative figures of wages paid to African labourers on sisal plantations and those paid by the Overseas Food Corporation?