§ Sir N. MOOREasked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has any official information in regard to the postponement by the Western Australian Government of the farm settlement scheme of immigration which was arranged with that Government and the Commonwealth Government under the Overseas Settlement Act due to the discovery of the presence of certain alkali deposits: and what proportion of the 4,000,000 acres included in the scheme is affected?
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§ Mr. LUNNI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my predecessor on 31st October last, in which the hon. Member was informed that while it was understood that certain proposals for developing wheat-growing land in the vicinity of Southern Cross, Western Australia, were under consideration by His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia, no recommendation in favour of any such scheme had been received from that Government. I have therefore no official information concerning the abandonment of the scheme, but I understand that the area found to be adversely affected by deposits of alkali comprises the southern section of the whole area covered by the scheme. I am not aware of the extent of the affected area.