asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many acres, formerly occupied by the Eritrean people for grazing their cattle, have been turned over to Italian cultivation; and what requests for the sinking of wells in these lands in order that the 'natives might cultivate them have been received, and what answers have been given to them.

During the Italian administration of Eritrea some 29,000 acres were occupied by Italian cultivators. Under- the British Administration this figure has fallen to 20,000 acres. No requests by Eritreans for permission to sink wells on these lands have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the proposal of the Political Committee of the United Nations Assembly that Italy be permitted to resume the administration of ex-Italian Somaliland; and what instructions he proposes to issue to the United Kingdom representative on the attitude to be adopted to this policy.

Yes; and my hon. Friend will doubtless be aware that this proposal was endorsed by the General Assembly. The United Kingdom representative at Lake Success voted in favour of the resolution in accordance with his instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reports he has received from the British representative on the International Refugee Organisation regarding sums of money voted by that organisation for the relief of Arab refugees; and how these sums compare with sums voted to assist Jewish settlement in Israel.

The International Refugee Organisation is not responsible for Arab refugees, who are the concern of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees. Nevertheless, the International Refugee Organisation has not only lent the United Nations relief for Palestine Refugees the services of experienced persons, but has made, and is still making, very expensive gifts in kind out of its own stocks for the benefit of Arab refugees. Negotiations are also in progress for an interest-free loan of 2,800,000 dollars for Arab refugees. Jewish refugees, on the other hand, do come within the mandate of the International Refugee Organisation and the sum of 9 million dollars has been authorised for their resettlement in Israel.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that in many Arab refugee camps rations have been barely adequate; and what report he has received regarding the United Nations Palestine Committee's intention to reduce the rations provided for Arab refugees.

The United Nations Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East has recommended that the present minimum ration scale should not be reduced but that the number of rations issued to the Arab refugees should be reduced by 1st January, 1950, from the present rate of 940,000 to 652,000. The resolution, which has just been passed by the ad hoc political committee of the General Assembly, includes an article which "requests the Secretary General, in consultation with the operating agencies, to continue to endeavour to reduce the number of rations by progressive stages in the light of the findings and recommendations of the Economic Survey Mission."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has yet received the Report of the Commission appointed to inquire into the sugar industry in British Guiana; and what action will be taken.

The Report was published today and a copy has been placed in the Library. It calls for careful consideration both here and in the Colony, but my right hon. Friend has expressed to the Governor the hope that no efforts will be spared by the sugar industry and the Government of the Colony to carry out those recommendations for improving working conditions which are clearly desirable, and which do not seem likely to arouse controversy or to make disproportionate demands on resources.Some major recommendations in the fields of housing, health and education clearly involve very substantial expenditure, and the practicability of implementing them will have to be considered by the Government of the Colony in relation to its own resources, the needs of the rest of the community, the provision already made in the Colony's 10-Year Plan for such services, and the availability of funds which have accrued to the Labour Welfare Fund referred to in paragraph 3 of Chapter 19 of the Commission's Report. The Governor is examining the Report, and when this has been done my right hon. Friend will review the position further in consultation with him.As regards the Commission's recommendation that a special subsidy of 20s. a ton be paid for British Guiana sugar, my right hon. Friend considers, after carefully studying the arguments advanced in the Report, that it would not be appropriate to single out the sugar industry in one particular territory for special assistance of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what sum in dollars the British authorities permit emigrants from the British West Indies to take with them; and why, in cases where would-be emigrants are supplied from outside sources with the amount of dollars required by the American consuls, the British authorities refuse to allow these sums, or part of them to be taken out of the Colony.

Emigrants from West Indian Colonies, who intend to take up permanent residence abroad, are permitted to transfer their assets to the amount of four payments of the equivalent of £250 per annum. Any dollars remitted from the United States would have to be surrendered and exchanged into local currency in accordance with the usual practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the attempted assassination of the Governor of Sarawak.

The Governor's "condition remains serious and it has been found necessary for him to have a further operation. This will be performed tonight. Otherwise I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on Monday, 5th December, to the right hon. Member for West Bristol (Mr Stanley).

asked the Minister of Food how many of each variety of animals of which he has records, were killed for human consumption in this country during 1948; how many and what percentage were slaughtered by the use of the humane killer.

For the animals slaughtered in Government slaughterhouses and bacon factories, 1 would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary on 29th June, 1949. In addition, licences were issued for self-suppliers to slaughter 666,080 pigs, 6,704 sheep, and 1,643 calves. It is not known for how many of these a humane killer was used.