§ Mr. RANKINasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that the tin production of French Indo-China rose from 584 tons in 1929 to 1,302 tons in 1933, that the quotas of the countries in the international control agreement are based upon the actual production of 1929, that the quotas are at present 40 per cent., and that at this rate the French Indo-China quota for the current year would be 234 tons, he will state what, under the agreement of October, 1933, between the French Government and the International Tin Committee, the minimum production of French Indo-China will be for the years 1934, 1935 and 1936; and whether he will press for an early increase of the quotas in the interests of the Malayan and Nigerian producers?
Mr. M. MacDONALDIt is assumed that information is desired as to the maximum (not minimum) production of French Indo-China. The minimum production clearly cannot be estimated. The maximum production for the years 1934, 1935 and 1936 has been fixed at 1,700, 2,500 and 3,000 long tons of metal respectively. The question whether the statistical position justified an early increase in the quotas allotted to the Malay States, Nigeria, Bolivia and the Netherlands East Indies is primarily a matter for the International Tin Committee, and will, I understand, be discussed at the meeting of that committee on 5th March.