§ 3. Mr. Baldwinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what research has taken place into the possibility of utilising for paper-making the bark of the baobab tree, which is indigenous in the African coastal areas and for which there seems little demand.
§ The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Oliver Lyttelton)Considerable research over a period of years has shown that it is technically possible to use the bark of the baobab tree for paper-making, but its commercial use has proved uneconomic.
§ Mr. BaldwinIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is an opinion in Tanganyika that the tree can be used for the extraction of cellulose? Will my right hon. Friend make some inquiries to see whether it is possible to make use of what is now a very useless tree?
§ Mr. LytteltonI am quite willing to make further inquiries. My information is that the distribution of the tree is so scattered and such large quantities are required for these purposes that that project would not prove economical.