Coconut Palm Rhinoceros Beetle

HC Deb 29 July 1964 vol 699 cc355-6W

Mr. Godman Irvine

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what progress is being made with the joint United Nations-South Pacific Commission project on the rhinoceros beetle.

Mr. Carr

A Plan of Operations for the United Nations Special Fund project for research on the eradication of the Coconut Palm Rhinoceros Beetle in the South Pacific is being negotiated. Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission territories have accepted the latest draft Plan and, provided the Government of Tonga also agrees with the draft, the Plan of Operation can then be signed on behalf of the territories for whose external relations the U.K. is responsible. However, the project is for implementation as a whole, and action by the Special Fund will depend on approval of the plan of operations of the other independent Governments concerned.