asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the great desire of people in the Colonies to help this country through its crisis; and whether he will request Colonial governors to emphasise to their respective governments or administrations how much help would be supplied by a much greater reduction of local petrol consumption than the 10 per cent. at present advocated.

The Colonies generally have shown themselves very ready to help us in our present difficulties by curtailing dollar and other hard currency imports. Petrol is one of these, and while some Colonies have indicated that they are curtailing consumption by more than 10 per cent., I do not feel able to press the matter further just now as most Colonies are today much more dependent on motor transport than we are.