§ Mr. MARDY JONESasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether lie is aware that the rubber captured from smugglers who smuggle rubber from Malaya into the Dutch East Indies is destroyed on capture; and what is the reason for this destruction?
§ Mr. AMERYI regret that I have no information with regard to the disposal of rubber captured from smugglers.
§ Mr. JONESasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the estimated 1600W quantity of rubber smuggled from Malaya across the Straits of Malacca into the Dutch East Indies during each of the three years 1925, 1926, and 1927; and what was the total quantity of rubber captured from the smugglers in each of those three years by the preventive officers?
§ Mr. AMERYThe quantities of rubber captured from smugglers in the restriction years 1924–25 and 1925–26 were 395 tons and 84 tons respectively. The figures for 1926–27 have not yet reached me. Any figures relating to the total amount smuggled must necessarily be highly conjectural, and I regret that I do not see my way to venturing on an estimate.