§ 81. Mr. Charles Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken and what further action is proposed as a result of the report presented by the Mission appointed in August, 1946, to investigate and report upon the exportable surpluses of vegetable oils and oil seeds in West Africa.
Mr. Creech JonesThe recommendations of the Mission are being followed up. The principal action taken has been as follows.
Last April I appointed a Mission to investigate the possibility of large scale groundnut production in West Africa. I received their report last week, and hope to make a statement on it when I have had time to consider it in greater detail. Transport difficulties continue to delay the evacuation of Nigerian groundnuts. Railings have very recently shown a satisfactory improvement and I am in continual contact with the Governor of Nigeria on the matter. Fourteen Canadian locomotives have been dispatched to Nigeria this year and 20 British locomotives are being manufactured. With the assistance of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply, with whom I am in close touch on this, these will be shipped 73W in the early months of the coming year. The supply of road transport and locomotive spares has also been improved.
The Mission emphasised the need for more consumer goods, particularly cotton piece goods, in West Africa. I fully recognise this need but obviously the quantities which can be made available from this country must depend on an increase of our domestic production.