§ Mr. JANNERasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the fact that in various districts in Palestine fruit is rotting on the trees owing to the delay in picking, while urgent public works are having to be postponed owing to the shortage of labour; and whether he will consider relaxing to some extent the existing restrictions on immigration into Palestine?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question, the High Commissioner reported recently that, as he was 1047W satisfied that there was a shortage of skilled labourers, he had decided to authorise the grant of 1,350 immigration certificates to the Jewish Agency as an advance on account of the next half-yearly schedule, which will cover the period from April to September, on the understanding (a) that 500 of these certificates will be distributed to Jewish residents who are now in Germany, or who have recently left that country, and (b) that half of the immigrants will be skilled men belonging to specified trades (each trade being allowed a definite quota), and half will be labourers for citrus groves and buildings.