asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the views expressed by the Raw Cotton Advisory Committee on the need for giving additional encouragement to cotton growing in the Empire and particularly in the African Colonies; and whether any large-scale plans for such development during 1947 are in contemplation.

Yes. I have the views of the Raw Cotton Advisory Committee. I fully realise how important it is in present circumstances to increase cotton production in the Colonial Empire and my officers have given much attention to the matter. While a proper balance must be kept in Colonial economics in respect of food production, every effort is being made to open up new possibilities particularly in East and West Africa. The hon. Member will know, for instance, that the Colonial Office Mission now in West Africa will study the possibility of group cultivation of cotton by mechanical means, perhaps in rotation with other crops.