§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report typical world c.i.f. prices for phosphate in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years, together with the comparable c.i.f. prices charged by the British Phosphate Commission.
§ Mr. LuardAll purchases and imports of phosphates into Australia and New Zealand are controlled by the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission established jointly by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. I understand that the internal marketing arrangements are the responsibility of the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission in association with the fertiliser manufacturers and that prices paid are treated as confidential between them.
711WThe following figures have been extracted from official statistics—sources, respectively, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, the Australian Overseas Trade Bulletin, and the New Zealand Department of Statistics. Those for the United Kingdom and New Zealand are average c.i.f. values per metric tonne of phos-
United Kingdom Australia New Zealand £ A$ NZ$ Nauru Morocco Christmas Island Nauru Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Nauru Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony 83 per cent. Bone Phosphate of Lime 72 per cent. to 73 Per cent. Bone Phosphate of Lime 83 Per cent. Bone Phosphate of Lime 83 Per cent. Bone Phosphate of Lime 1967… 7.4 6.2 8.6 7.5 7.6 13.0 13.6 1968… 8.7 6.2 9.7 8.3 8.5 13.4 13.7 1969… 8.7 6.4 9.9 8.5 8.6 15.7 15.8 1970… — 6.5 10.6 9.1 9.2 16.6 15.8 1971… — 6.4 10.6 9.2 9.1 15.7 15.7 1972… — 6.5 11.3 9.5 9.5 17.2 17.7 1973… — 7.9 10.0 9.8 10.1 * * 1974… — 25.4 11.3 11.1 11.1 * * 1975… — 31.1 26.7 27.3 28.5 * * 1976… — 28.8 36.8 36.3 35.0 * * * No later figures available.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the terms and conditions of service of labourers working on Ocean Island employed by the British Phosphate Commission in the last 10 years were in accordance with the rules laid down by the International Labour Organisation in Geneva.
§ Mr. LuardStandards in labour matters are established by the International Labour Organisation in the form of International Labour Conventions. The Conventions are subject to ratification by member states and may be declared applied by those States to their non-metropolitan territories. 23 of these Conventions have been declared applied to the Gilbert Islands and the terms and conditions of service of labourers on Ocean Island are required to conform to the Gilbert Islands legislation which gives effect to these Conventions. The terms and conditions of employment with the British Phosphate Commissioners have always been subject to Government scrutiny.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what revenues have been paid to the Banabans and the Gilbert and Ellice 712W phate. In the case of Australia the figures are calculated on the basis of current domestic value; and are basis of current domestic value; and are stated in £s, A$ and NZ$, the present rate of exchange is A$1.55=£1, and NZ$1.7799=£1. There have been no sales of Nauru or Ocean Island phosphate to the United Kingdom since 1969.
Islands, respectively, in the last 10 years by the British Phosphate Commission.
§ Mr. LuardOver the 10-year period to the close of the last phosphate financial year at 30th June 1976 total payments by the British Phosphate Commissioners were:
Banabans … $A10,646,460 Gilbert Islands … $A59,230,944 These figures are being adjusted, under arrangements agreed in 1976 as a result of the marked increase in the price of phosphate, by payments to the Banabans from the Gilbert Islands Government totalling approximately $A1.4 million.
In addition, under the 1973 Agreement for the mining of further land on Ocean Island, the United Kingdom and Gilbert Islands Governments paid $A690,000 to the Banabans.